1. The importance of mathematics in music
By Carol Kempiak

2. What forms of math are used in music?
When reading rhythms in music, musicians use counting and fractions
Sound in music can be broken up into proportions
Frequencies can be graphed mathematically (will not cover this)

3. What is a time signature?4 6 8 3 2 9 7
The number on the top tells you how many beats per measure there are.
The number on the bottom tells you what note value receives one beat.

4. What is a measure?
A measure is a segment of time defined as a given number of beats of a given duration. (wikipedia.org) 4

5. Note values in 4/4 time Quarter Note: 1 beat Half Note: 2 beats
Whole Note: 4 beats
Eighth Note: ½ beat
Sixteenth Note: ¼ beat

6. 4
Note: During the presentation, the class will be taught how to read and clap these three rhythms through the use of math. 4 4

7. Pythagorus and music
According to legend, Pythagorus first realized that music and math were connected when hearing the tones of a blacksmith’s anvils.
Strings of proportional length create tones of proportional frequencies.
He found the four “overtones” that created common intervals to become primary building blocks of musical harmony.
(shows example of overtones series)

8. What is the importance of mathematics in music?
Without mathematics music would not have structure.
1) There would be no way to measure rhythm.
2) There would be no relative pitch.
Without mathematics, musicians would not have the ability to compose and read music.