ICL School of Business,

Auckland, NZ

The Corelli School of the

Arts, Browns Bay, NZ

Alina
The Zone of Musical Creativity:
Abraham
Harmonic Series Structures, from
Pictorial Representation to a

Method of Teaching and Coaching for

Music Performance
 Glossary (1)

 The Zone…

…that state of mind where everything clicks, everything is

easy, where your actions are effortless, and when your
results are up to or even exceed your previous
expectations. The Zone is quite simply being in the
perfect state of mind for a given performing situation,
resulting in an optimal level of performance…

(Gorrie, 2009, p.21)

… the flow experience… focus - based on repetition and
mastery
(Custodero, 2008 cit. Czikszentmihalyi;
http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html;
Goleman,1995)

… meditation… create a new reality (Werner, 1996)

 Glossary (2)

 Visualisation…

 Result of using visual strategies

 Association of an abstract concept with presented or own visual image

TimeDance – Daniel Belton, Michael Norris, 2012

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1209/S00478/time-dance-an-algebra-of-movement.htm

"http://player.vimeo.com/video/52898697?autoplay=1" width="403" height="227"

frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>

 Pictorial representation
Association of abstract concept with suggested (reversed metaphor), images, or own.
 http://www.michaelnorris.info/orchestralworks/lonelymargins.html
 Abstract

 For any pitched sound in nature, there is an inner structure of that sound
displaying a series of harmonics, or partials, that vibrate with different
frequencies; this series is called harmonic series (HS) (Backus, 1977).

 Due to the mathematical underpinnings of those partials’ frequencies, the

pitched sound may be visualized with a Cartesian (logarithmic) spiral design
(Novac, Charalambides, 2003).

 This paper discusses how various melodic and rhythmic structures that
originate in HS might be visualized in pictorial ways in order to:

 Explain elements of form in a musical piece and facilitate students' understanding

of compositional processes in music

 Enhance memorization in music performance and develop such visualizations

into a method of teaching in music and coaching for music performance
 1. THS - linear representation

The Harmonic Series (THS)

of a pitched sound

Acoustics: The harmonic series (THS) is a mathematical model in which the strictly
increasing series of ‘n’ oscillators represents multiples of the frequency of a fundamental
sound, e.g., 1f, 2f, 3f … (Backus, 1977)

The linear representation of THS (colour coded) shows how the odd harmonics generate
geometric progressions with the ratio r = 2, i.e. {1, 2, 4, 8, 16…}; {3, 6, 12, 24…}; {5, 10, 20…};
{7, 14}.

The relation between harmonics follows the golden mean principles

Fibonacci Series 1,2,3,5,8 evidences the Major Chord
 2. THS - geometric representation

The
Harmoni
c Series
(THS)
of a
pitched
sound
In the geometric representation of the
harmonic series (THS) the geometric
progressions with the ratio r=2 represent radii Pythagoras’
starting from the twelve nodal points of the “Circle of
total chromatic scale of the well temperate
system. These 12 nodal points – i.e., pitches of
Fifths”
the total chromatic, also represent the
division of the circle in 12 areas – as described
by Descartes [37, 38], is an inherent property
of the logarithmic spiral in which the angle
between radii is a constant of 2100 [17].
 Visualisation of arithmetic and
geometric patterns in music

The History of the Project – Dunedin, NZ/UNSW,

2003

Continuing from Schenker: Two

harmonic series places a perfect
fifth apart complete the total
chromatic of the tonal quadrant

Cooke, D, 1959 - In 1959, D. Cooke explains the Western world music development as result of aural
perception development following the natural resonance laws (HS).
Schenker, 1935 – The Chord of Nature (Harmonics 1-6); subdominant not included in THS
 Pictorial Visualisation (PV)
Definition

The intellectual exercise of using pictorial representation is to

apply nature’s own strategies, or ‘voice’, to mind constructs,
due to the structural similarities between the two.

 visualization in general seems to be the support system that permits

students the access to the ‘zone’ of the brain where results come
naturally and effortlessly in live / public performances, in music, sports, or
other – as result of repetitive work accumulated, with the possibility of
transfer of skills into other areas, (Coyle, 2009; Gorrie, 2009).

 The New Zealand school curricula to focus of creativity in terms of

learning outcomes, with music, dance, and drama, for example.

 A potential pedagogy of creativity is envisaged, and expected to be

‘life changing’ for the K–12 students (Ken Robinson, 2013!)*.

 Pictorial representation visualizes familiar objects or pictures in the user’s

mind**.
Pictorial visualisation and the learning process

Coyle (2009) evidences the role of neuronal synapses that

facilitate reasoning and memorization in the brain, and also about
another substance that plays an extremely important role in
memorization and reasoning in humans, that myelin.

Myelin acts like an ‘auto-pilot’ mechanism in the brain that

continues to work for the stabilization of information long after the
initial stimulus is gone, that is for days and even weeks later. This is
how reasoning and memorization are enhanced.

Reasoning is enhanced by symbolic iconic connotations (Bruner,

LASS).

Apparent ‘informal’ learning – relaxation of the mind facilitates

creativity and innovation (‘breakthrough’)*
Pictorial Visualisation may explain elements of form in a
musical piece and facilitate students' understanding
of compositional processes in music

 Rondeau (ABACADA) & Bridge (ABCBA) forms;

 Symmetry; applied golden section ratios;
 Geometric development techniques (diminutio; elongation)
 Spiraling discourse, e.g., Norris, 2001

 Harmonic Series Structures’, e.g., harmonic 3:2 the perfect fifth (harmonic mean,
Zarlino, Apel 1996); Xmajor = 5 x perfect fifth; (K.Field, Mme. Butterfly)

 Harmonic 4:3, the perfect fourth(geometric mean, Zarlino, Apel 1996) –

 Quartal harmony (descending perfect fifths),
 integration in“So What Chords” (Miles Davis/Kind of Blue, 1959)

 Harmonic 5:3 – the major third (harmonic mean, ibid); Harmonic 7:6 minor third
(geometric mean, ibid) – Ron Samsom, Race to space (2012)
 The acoustic mode (Lydian Dominant) – the Moebius strip (C, E, G, Bb, D, F#, A)
 Same principles apply to rhythm (Chris O’Connore, 2011)
NZ Pedagogy – theory and
practice
 Conclusion
Music stimulates both the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and so do pictures
(Corballis, 2012; Coyle, 2009)

The use of a pictorial representation approach for music analysis, performance,

teaching & coaching - and beyond beneficial to enhance students’ individualized
learning in music, with music, and not limited to music

By associating familiar images of objects or clusters of objects to new contexts, students

relate in an almost subconscious, relaxed manner, structural similarities between old and
new situations, and develop new understandings from old knowledge.

Pictorial representation can be incorporated in all disciplines at all levels, and be

contributing to the development of creative and innovative practices in education.

Pictorial representation is supportive of all learning, at all levels – due to the

individualized (personalized) facets of ‘what’ (content), ‘why’ (motivation), and
‘how’’ (strategies) one may use in teaching and learning
 References

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 References

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Equiangular Spiral Pathway,” in P. Slezak (Ed.), Proceedings of the Joint International
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Sidney: University of New South Wales, poster.
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http://youtu.be/I1A4OGiVK30
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THANK YOU