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Music--or the overtone series on which most music is based--is also all about ratios. Though interestingly, Western Music is literally out of tune with the overtone series, i.e., with nature. It's *close enough* but if you hear a in-tune major 3rd, for example, vs. one on a piano, the difference is striking. The Western tuning system is a compromise--we trade being in tune for being able to easily modulate to any key. It may be going too far to say that this is a Faustian bargain, but heck, I'll say it anyway.

For those interested in hearing it, here is a minute video of music phenom Jacob Collier demonstrating the difference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwRSS7jeo5s

More to the point, a lovely article. Thank you.

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I wish I knew anything at all about the first thing about music so I could have a conversation about this, but I'll take your word for it.

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Since I have a background in music and have looked into it to a degree, I thought I would note the parallel. Admittedly, it is tangential to your theme.

Which is really to say: I like where this is all going.

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Oh., I do get the relationship between music and math, or at least numbers. It's one of the more obvious ones. God peeks out from behind these things. Or you can sort of see His shape in all the patterns if you could only pull your camera back far enough.

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this is fascinating. first substack where i have read an article and wanted to subscribe. but i have no money.

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I'll keep posting. Half of it will be free going forward. When you're more flush you can upgrade to paid.

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no plans to be more flush, its voluntary, but ill take what i can get.

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I shall, like Jeeves, endeavour to give satisfaction.

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Fascinating. I have toyed with copying icons and realised there were principles here at work but to have it elucidated so clearly is marvellous, thank you.

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One of the most interesting things I've ever read. I suppose because I had zero idea that these artworks were created according to set rules. I'd seen the Vitruvian man, of course, but never knew its importance, its purpose. Maybe this is what happens when images such as that wind up on a million plastic shopping bags, when cheap framed prints of them are on the walls of doctors' offices and hair salons. So people's response might be "just a cool picture".

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