FIRST PRINCIPLES. Luft Thehaed of Ged comes downto tse the “yr cosmic 2 monecherd encompassing the musi of te sphees nN tom Rober ud’ 1617 encydopneda mari cet ot mais metophysa, pyea see teria ora MUSIC OF THE SPHERES did luthiers settle on the proportions Elen n ics design? Frangois Denis Reoeceemn one hala ana) coording to tradition, the first person co Amt of wing the idem the correlation between musica Leoieasone ies harmony and whole numbers wasthe Greek | eatse Musca theneten philosopher Pythagoras. Ie issaid that he was pasing a blcksmieh noticed how all che smiths hammers made orge one day, and different sounds when striking the anvil. Using this asa starting point, he came up with the idea chat sound could beconnected ro whole numbers. Furthermore, it was also the Greeks who determined thellnk between arithmetic and ideas of nding the nocion thar numbers can be used to exphin the Lawsof nature, on both a micro and a macro level (On the face of ie, Pythagorean philosophy may not scem to hhaveany connection with violin making, but its principles shed. lighton various approaches to measu! xed from the makers’ trial and error. This nent that are commonly believed to have o anicle ssurementy connecting lengths with musica omned the design of early stringed i 1s, Ir also attests to the importance ofthis way of thinking about measurement, away that has for so long, been buried in the past. AG weer ascuersowethrough numbers isan archaic chordophone called a “menochord’. [ts made from a simple string stretched. over a resonator. It can be divided into two parts which, made ovvibrate, will produce «wo sounds. The monochord is used to prove Pythagoras’ claims that harmony isa mix of owo quantities, depending on whole-number relationships — ‘esentially that our capacity to discern the quality of chords and musical relations is governed by whole numbers. ‘When we bisece the string of the monochord into two-equal parts (Bgure 1), we hear the same note on both sides of the bridge: unison (ie. the rai is 1:1). These notes and the open string are an octave apart (1:2) T he emblematic tool for explaining the musical world rroune Whenever string is divided into «wo different part it acually generates shree intervals. IF we call the string’ ull length L, the moving bridge will spc this distance into two parts, respectively called § (short length) and M (medium length). In each case, L.=S+M (Gigure 2). Thus, the elationships Sto L,M to Land S to M areall ereated by placing the bridge ata given position. igure 2 Figure 3 shows how theabove values can be equaly distributed, ie that L = S + M such that 3 = 1 + 2. This generates the following pitch relationships: + StoL~ 1103 = a5th above the oxeave MwL-203=a5th + StoM~1 t02=anociave Anything you want to build needs measurements. Inthe past these measarements (in the senseof'a series of dimensions) were not established as we are used to them now: Instead, architects used a principle called ‘extraction’, wherein each measurement is the result of dividing one that preceded it. Equally, like music, ‘each new mezsurement then becomes 2 reference for another one. Knowledge ofthis extraction process actually conditions the viewer's perception of the finished product ~ there isan ‘order’ to know ifyou wane to have adecp understanding of what you see. FIRST PRINCIPLES rrouRes FAL relationship wherein two parts merge pleasingly into 2 whole. In early music, harmony is the consonance of unison (1.10 1), octave (1 0 2), 5th (2 to 3) and 4th (3 to 4) relationships. Hearing these consonances on a monochord requires dividing the seringimto 2, 3, 5 and 7 equal past. The interval ofthe so-called ‘Pythagorean’ tone is the distance that separates the 5th from the 4th. As explained above, the numerical expression of the pitch interval then depends on the pare taken 38a reference of the calculation in the equation L=S + M. I nits primary sense, harmony’ describesan intimate Figure 4 shows the relationship between the 4th (ratio 3:4) and the 5th (ratio 2:3). To illustrate the relationship most clearly, we usea value for S (shor: length) thas divisible by hath 2 and 3. The simplest value is 6 (which is 2x3), so-we ‘expand 3:4 £0 6:8, and 2:3 to 69. This gives La value of 14 for the 4th and 15 for the 5th, rroure « Four (3104) + ct Pytnagorean tone ith (2103) If these same ratios are expressed from M in the equation L +M, M must be divisible by both 3 and 4, the simplest value being 3x4 which is 12. $o forthe 4th we have 20 (= 8+12), and for the Sth we have 21 (=9 + 12) (figure 5). Fourth(3 104) raure 5 Pyhagoreai Fania) Finally, ifL isthe reference length of the calculation in the equality L = $+ M:L must be divisible by 5 (which is 2+3),» avoust ano taestean 47FIRST PRINCIPLES INSTRU. AYP @ INEM YaN MUSIC: and 7 (344), #0 we have L = 35 (5x7). Figure 6 shows these proportions: 35 = 14421 and 35 = 15420, | |e} |e zo fat jaz fis eure 6 8 9 |e |o cos 6 icone 7 15 [14 aunicof measurement. Itcan be seen from this diagram that the smallest which we call he ‘Pythagorean tone’, has a value uu that these fractional cone values, derived fiom reween the 5th and the 4th, play an important role in the variations of the instruments in the violin family ~ swe shall now see THE POSITION OF THE BASS-BAR Luthiers are used to positioning the bas-bat so thatitis 4/7 ofthe wide — four pares from figure 8). IFwe usea rtio oF 3t0 2 i a division of the Sch (gure an det 48 rwesrmapsvcusraneFIRST PRINCIPLES. FIGURES 8-10 show thatthe standard with ofthe busbar 1/95 the stindird wah of te olin Figures of 1/35 (figure 10). For thestandand violin measureme (160mm for the upper bouts and 200mmat the lower bouts) we find cha the Pythagorean tone interval corresponds to 5.5mm at the bridge position — which is the standard average width of a violin bassbar To summarise: the bass-bar bisects the top plate by spanning. the interval thar separates 1wo hi this could explain its name in Fi monic consonances. Perhaps ich: la barre dharmonie. THE PLACEMENT OF THE, BRIDGE RESULTS FROM A BISECTION OF THE LENGTH OF THE INSTRUMENT, OR A PART OF THAT LENGTH FIGURE 12 Ati Stadvari Daido clo 1712 50 mecrmnsveversor FIGURE 13.4158 Se Sale velo THE PLACEMENT OF THE BRIDGE The setting of the bridge o align with the lower notches ofthe Eholes became standard during the 17¢h century. However, depictions of instruments before that timeshow that other placements have als» been used. The subject goes beyond the limited scope ofthis atic, bur che base principles dha the placemencof the bridge results from a bisection ofthe length of ‘the instrument o apart ofthat length. In the violin family this reference length (L) corresponds tothe difference between the largest widths ofthe upper and lower bouts (figure 11). The variation of the placement found in each family also corresponds to the interval ofthe Pythagorean tone. ‘THE POSITION OF THE CORNERS Another example of variation based on this 1/35 measurement isin the positioning ofa stringed instrument’ corners, which is frequently ditated by the placement of 4ths, ths and 7ths. Figures 12-14 give examples ofthis in three instruments of differ Ieis interesting to note that the proportions ofthe Brothers Amati FIGURE 14 A rothers Amati tenor vols of 1592FIRST PRINCIPLES 1 lenge improvise using rats, athoush some non-Euroean tenor viola (3 10 2 and 4 to 3) are the reverse of those of the ‘Davidov’ Stradivari cello and Gasparo da Sal viok USING THESE PROPORTIONS AS RQASSMEBIED DIANNA eat could have been a useful aide-memoire for luthiers at a GOULD HAVE BEEN A L ; time wien wa AIDE-MEMOIRE FOR LUT ATA TIME WHEN WRITING WAS HARDLY USED Using these proportionsas standard measurements cas hardly used, and contributed ignition and understanding ofthe various id moulds CONCLUSION Not all variations in measurement can be related tothe proportions used in ancient Greck studies, There are other ratios that occur frequently ~ 5t07, 5 t0 8, 7 04 an 0 09.11 my 2006 book Liritde Luther aden Amati made two sites I demonstrate how these ratios areall founded on an ‘of ins wate cierence i 1/35 ofthe length ehistan geen eae Zwolle famous 15th using Armaule de agram of alureas the basic model. What from thisis thar our appreciation for the works of classical antiquity is Founded on the principles of harmony and proportion that result from close observation and experience of the natural world. This experience preceded the discovery of ‘mathematical theorems, snd formed the basis of artistic endeavour up to the Es great archi quattro thr dell architetunas‘As the proportions of voices Modern purpose era.Asthe Andrea Palladio said in his 1570 treatise 7 are harmony for theeas, so the proportions of ‘measurements are harmony forthe eyes. Such harmonies are ofien very pleasing without anyone knowing why ~ with the exception of those investigating the causes of ied to share the things.’ In thisaricl, we hav experience advocated by that avcurrane meer 5