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A Re-Valuation of the Ancient Science of Harmonics

13 Great Footway, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 0DT, UK.

Harmonics was the theoretical arithmetic underpinning the tuning of musical instruments in ancient times. It was a numerical science based on ratios of string-length. The ancients believed that the planets circled the heavens in similar mathematical proportions, and that, by analogy, these also corresponded to powers in the human psyche. Harmonics survived as such until the 17th century. Only recently, however, have musicologists made a breakthrough to a more comprehensive understanding of its coherence and cultural significance. This article offers a short re-valuation of harmonics. It seeks to stimulate debate about the relevance of the relationships between number and tone to contemporary thought, and whether an understanding of harmonics has anything to contribute to future interdisciplinary research into the evolution of music and the human mind.

Key Words: evolution • mathematics • music • Plato • temperament

Psychology of Music, Vol. 31, No. 4, 391-403 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/03057356030314004


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