/sci/ - Science & Math

The Pythagorean Lambdoma is a tuning system originally developed by the greek mathematician Pythagoras over 2500 years ago. Its harmonic resonances are alleged to provide feelings of wholeness and well-being, and are used by some as musical therapy [20]. Its layout consists of a fundamental frequency which is placed in the upper left hand corner of the grid, for example 440 Hz (middle A). The next square to the right will be 2 times the original frequency, the square after that 3 times, and so on. In this size board the upper right square's frequency is 6 times that of the upper left (2640 Hz). In a likewise fashion, the square below the fundamental is one half its frequency, the one below that one third, and so on down to one sixth. Each square’s frequency ratios are defined by its place in the matrix - the row number divided by the column number represents its relation to the fundamental frequency. This tuning scheme produces a range of tonalities that remain consonant with each other in almost any combination, making it an ideal layout for a multiplayer interactive instrument.