Mathematical Music

The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio

What could the music of singer/songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen (1985-) and Hungarian composer
Béla Bartók (1881-1945) possibly have in common? As it turns out, the answer might be this
sequence of numbers:

1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34.....

And this guy:

In 1202, Italian mathematician Leonardo Bonacci (nicknamed Fibonacci) introduced a sequence

of numbers to the mathematical world in his book Liber Abaci. The sequence begins with two
ones, after which each term in the sequence can be found by taking the sum of the previous two
numbers (1+1=2, 1+2=3, 2+3=5, etc...). As it turns out, this “Fibonacci Sequence” appears in
countless places in the human world and in nature. Today, we’ll take a look at its presence in
music.
Take a look at this image of a keyboard. If you aren't familiar with pianos or other keyboards, the
letters underneath each white "key" represent the note value of that key, with the pitch of each
note ascending as you go further right (for example, the "F" highlighted in blue will sound the
same as the "F" highlighted in green, just at a higher pitch). The interval between two different
notes of the same note value (one "A" to the next one, or one "B" to the next) is called an octave.

Now, here's a challenge: see if you can find any Fibonacci numbers (numbers in the Fibonacci
sequence) hidden in this keyboard. To help you, isolate your search to the octave enclosed in
blue (C to C).
 In one octave, there are:
 13 total keys
 8 white keys
 5 black keys divided into
o a group of 3 keys
o a group of 2 keys

All Fibonacci numbers. Weird, right? A coincidence? Maybe. As it turns out, this is not the only
example of Fibonacci numbers in instrument design (Stradivarius violins, for example, seem to
be constructed based on Fibonacci numbers). Perhaps there is something about these numbers
that make them naturally optimal in some way, which could explain why we see them in so many
places. This could cause us to insert the Fibonacci sequence into many different things, possibly
without realizing it. If you were an ancient Greek mathematician, you might agree.

We typically describe sound as traveling in

“waves” (depicted to the right). The wavelength
of a “sound wave” is the distance between two
peaks (or crests). The frequency (measured in
Hertz) is the number of wavelengths which pass by
a given point each second. A wave’s frequency
determines the pitch of the sound (therefore, it also
determines a sound’s note value).

This table describes the relationship between the

frequencies of different musical notes. If you
begin with an “A” (tuned to 440 Hertz), you
would multiply its frequency by 2 in order to
produce another “A,” one octave higher. In order
to produce a “D,” you would multiply the original
frequency by 2/3. What do you notice about the
fractions relating the frequencies of the different
note values?
 Phi and the Golden Ratio

1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144,233,377.....

Pick any number in the Fibonacci sequence and divide it by the previous number. Do this a
couple times, and see what you get.

As you will see, the greater the numbers you choose, the closer your answer will get to 1.618, a
number we call Phi. Just like with the Fibonacci sequence, the list of appearances of this ratio in
the natural and human worlds is extensive. Phi has been known to humans for quite some time:
the ancient Greeks dubbed it the Golden Ratio, because they (and countless other artists and
architects since) believed it was the optimal ratio for the sides of an aesthetically pleasing
rectangle. Its connection to the Fibonacci sequence, however, was not noted until the 1750's by
Robert Simson.

What's the connection to music?

First, if you take any Fibonacci number and divide it by the next number in the sequence, you
will come out with an approximation for 0.618 (let's call this "phi" with a lower case p).

Enter Jepsen and Bartók.

Listen to Jepsen's 2011 magnum opus, "Call Me Maybe."

https://youtu.be/FsIcFdYodjs

Here's the trick: before you listen, take the total length of the song (it may be easier to convert it
to seconds), and multiply it by 0.618. Then listen to the full song and take note of that particular
moment.

Notice anything? At almost exactly 2 minutes into the song, Jepsen introduces a bridge: "Before
you came into my life I missed you so bad..."

Now Bartók.

Listen to the first movement of his 1936 composition titled "Music for strings, percussion, and
celesta."

https://youtu.be/HGJcsTtJ188 (the first movement begins at 0:07 and ends at 8:30)

Apply the same principle to the first movement of this Bartók piece as we did for "Call Me
Maybe" and see what you find.

Notice anything interesting? The climax of the first movement occurs at around 5 minutes (5:12
to be more precise).
So, there's a pattern here. In fact, this specific moment in a piece of music (0.618/1 of the way in)
has been dubbed the "Golden Moment." Interesting things can be found at the Golden Moments
of countless songs/pieces, whether the musician/composer meant it or not. Béla Bartók, for
example, is aware of what he is doing here. I'm not so sure about Jepsen. Once again, we are left
wondering if there might be something special about the ratio phi and these "Golden Moments,"
something aesthetically ideal, which draws musicians to them both knowingly and unknowingly.

More Music Using the Golden Ratio:

Erik Satie – Sonneries de la Rose+Croix

Steppenwolf – Born to Be Wild
P!nk – Just Give me a Reason
Queen – Somebody to Love
Wolfgang A. Mozart – Sonata no. 1 in C Major (1st movement)

Learn More

https://www.livescience.com/37470-fibonacci-sequence.html

https://www.livescience.com/37704-phi-golden-ratio.html

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/fibonacci-sequence-in-music/

http://blog.dubspot.com/fibonacci-sequence-in-music/