[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/sci/ - Science & Math

View post   
File: 99 KB, 508x720, not a single fuck.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2981535 No.2981535 [Reply] [Original]

Hello /sci/. I have a theory that there are a finite number of melodies of music available to be written. but I'm having troubles with the mathematics of the concept.
so take into consideration; western music is predominantly in 4/4 time; there are 88 keys on a standard piano; and for these purposes a 4 bar phrase is enough to constitute a song. can someone help me please. if not the solutions simply the process will suffice. thanks

tl;dr how many songs can be written

>> No.2981544
File: 41 KB, 486x301, King of Derp.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2981544

you would also want to think about rests

>> No.2981546

If there were a finite number of melodies, the number would be impossibly large anyway.

And Western music has evolved a lot a recent times, music isn't just 4/4 or standard pitches, so if you used those as a base you'd be leaving out a huge number of possibilities.

>> No.2981547

There are an infinite amount. You can also extend a variation by making it longer. The only way you can say otherwise is if you apply a trivial restriction to what can be considered a melody, which is pointless.

>Although it's technically impossible to produce all these melodies as our Universe won't be around forever - so I suppose you can say there are only a finite number of possible melodies that can ever be made.

>> No.2981552

There are 10⁹⁰⁰⁰ musics.

/thread