Senior Primary Maths Week 2024 Poster<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Where Numbers Dance and Melodies Count: Discover the Harmony of Maths and Music through this years Senior Primary Maths Week poster<\/strong><\/span><\/h2><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>You can see additional information and activities for this year\u2019s poster below<\/p>\n
To check out last year\u2019s Maths Week 2023 poster \u201dRugby Math\u201d \u2013 <\/b>click here<\/u><\/b>.<\/u><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"Click](\"https:\/\/www.mathsweek.ie\/2025\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Music-and-Maths-IRISH-WEB-poster-2024.png\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div>Click here for the PDF<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Back to Posters<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span>Activities<\/h1><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Fabulous Frequencies<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>So, what is frequency? Frequency is simply how many times a sound wave repeats itself. The single wave that makes up the sound wave is called an oscillation. The lower the frequency, the fewer oscillations we see, so changing the frequency changes the pattern. Lower frequencies tend to be deeper sounds and are low pitched, while high frequencies are squeaky and are high pitched.<\/p>\nFrequency is measured in hertz<\/span>, which is how many vibrations per second. It also measures different types of radiation, light and soundwaves.<\/p>\n\n- If we hear a frequency of 125 Hz, is that more or less vibration than a frequency of 250 Hz?<\/span><\/li>\n
- What do you think are the highest and lowest frequencies a person can hear?
\n<\/span><\/li>\n- Test your frequency range and learn more about frequency and sound <\/span>HERE<\/u><\/a><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A musical note\u2019s pitch is determined by its frequency, measured in Hertz. A tuning fork tuned to 440 Hz vibrates 440 times per second and produce the note A. When a musical instrument plays a note, it produces not only one frequency, but also a series of harmonics that are whole-number multiples of that frequency. <\/span><\/p>\n\n- For example, the first harmonic is twice the frequency. What is the first harmonic of the note A in Hz?
\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Pythagoras Rocks<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\n\n\t\tPythagoras was an important Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived from 570-495 BC. The real Pythagoras is obscured in the mists of time but he is credited with discovering that musical notes could be expressed in mathematical form and his famous Pythagoras\u2019 Theorem giving the important relationship for right angled triangles.<\/p>\n
Among the legends of Pythagoras there is one about his discovery of harmonics and that musical notes could be expressed in mathematical form. He once happened to walk past a blacksmith where some apprentices were at work. Listening to them striking an anvil he realised that different hammers created different notes. Notes on a stringed instrument depend on the length of the string and Pythagoras realised that certain sounds are considered pleasing together when the lengths of the strings are in particular ratios such as 2:1, 3:2 and 4:3. This led many to believe that the universe operated by mathematical laws.<\/p>\n
\n- If a string measures 21 cm, how long should the second string be to respect the 3:2 ratio? (The luthier doesn\u2019t have any longer strings available.)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Why do Musicians call out one, two, three, four?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nThe beat is basically the unit of time in a piece of music. It\u2019s a steady rhythm that underpins melodies, giving the music its pulse. Just like a text is organised with words, sentences and paragraphs, a piece of music is structured with beats, bars and phrases. Without this structure, reading music is like reading a text without punctuation or paragraphs. It\u2019ll be very difficult to read and understand the text.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mathsweek.ie\/2025\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Music-and-maths_music-sheet-800x202.png\")
A piece of music is divided into beats, bars and phrases.<\/p><\/div>\n
The written music always starts with the time signature. The most common is 4\/4. The top number shows you how many beats are in a bar. The bottom number shows which note represents a single beat. So, 4\/4 means there are four beats in a bar, and a semibreve* (whole note or the longest note) last 4 beats. A time signature of 2\/2 means there are two beats in a bar, with the semibreve* representing 2 beats. When musicians say one, two, three, four, they\u2019re basically just announcing the time signature they\u2019re using, at least the number of beats.<\/p>\n
\n- What does the time signature \u00be mean?<\/span><\/li>\n
- And 6\/8?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
* the name of the notes and their relationship is explained in the next section \u2018Take Notes!\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Take Notes!<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>If the time signature* is 4\/4, <\/span>the longest note (the semibreve) lasts 4 beats. So the next notes are divided by 2. Then:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- A semibreve is an empty circle and lasts four beats. [whole note]<\/li>\n
- A minim has a stem in addition and lasts two beats. [half note]<\/li>\n
- A crotchet becomes black and lasts one beat. [quarter note]<\/li>\n
- A quaver has a flag in addition and lasts half a beat. [eighth note]<\/li>\n
- A semiquaver has another flag and lasts quarter a beat. [sixteenth note]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u2013 How many beats do the different notes last if the time signature is 8\/8? or 2\/2?<\/p>\n
* Time signature is explained in the previous part \u2018Why do musicians call out one, two, three, four?\u2019<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Going a Beat Further<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nWe know 5 different notes that are linked with the times 2 table. But now, if we want a note to last 3 beats we have to write at least 2 notes on the music sheet. To limit the number of notes, they created the dot. If you add a dot, the dotted note worth one-and-a-half. <\/span><\/p>\nIf the time signature is 4\/4*, a dotted crotchet (quarter note) lasts one and a half beat.<\/p>\n
\n- How many beats does the dotted semibreve last in 4\/4?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Is the dotted crochet in 4\/4 last longer or shorter than the dotted minim in 2\/2?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
* the time signature 4\/4 means that the longest note (the semibreve) lasts 4 beats. Time signature is explained in the previous part \u2018Why do musicians call out one, two, three, four?\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Counting is essential<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nSingers and musicians can\u2019t afford to be out of rhythm, so counting is a must. Music is a team effort. If one singer or musician forgets to count, they might speed up or slow down, which can lead to a messy sound. Counting helps everyone stay together and the sounds will fit perfectly. That way, the music flows nicely and sounds good to the audience. It\u2019s like following a dance step: if you don\u2019t keep the beat, the dance can get mixed up!<\/span><\/p>\nSomebody else is counting too. All the time. For everyone. <\/p>\n
Conductors are always counting during a performance; they must keep time to make sure the orchestra can run smoothly. Of course, the musicians are counting too but it is up to the conductor to ensure that everyone is on time! <\/p>\n
\u2018Counting remains vital. This is especially true when not playing and you are counting the empty bars until you have to begin again. Let us consider one legendary example. If you are the tuba player in the famous \u2018Largo\u2019 from Dvo\u0159\u00e1k\u2019s New World Symphony, you play for five bars, then count \u2013 very slowly \u2013 for 114 bars, play for another four bars, and you are done. As a conductor, I am always counting, if subconsciously, and it would be expected that I give the tuba player a decisive nod at this crucial moment. But as a player, you may not want to take that chance, so you methodically count the 114 bars of 4\/4\u2019<\/i>, says Dr Ciar\u00e1n Crilly of UCD\u2019s School of Music \u2013 2023. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n- How many beats does the tuba player have to count before he can play again?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Read more about music and maths in the UCD magazine<\/span> HERE<\/u><\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Beat the speed<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>The tempo of a piece is basically just a way of measuring how quickly the beats occur. The tempo is usually measured in beats per minute (BPM). If a piece of music has a tempo of 120 BPM, that\u2019s the average for a pop song. That means there are 120 beats in one minute. To get it down to seconds, just divide 120 by 60, which is 2 beats per second.<\/p>\n\n\n- Let\u2019s take a look at The Cranberries\u2019 famous \u2018Zombie\u2019 with its BPM of 80, and Taylor Swift\u2019s \u2018Shake it Off\u2019 with its BPM of 165. How many beats per second are there in these two songs? Can you clap these beats with your hands in one second?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Happy Music<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nDr. Jacob Jolij, a Dutch scientist, came up with an equation to measure how a song makes you feel. The Feel Good Index (FGI) is made up of three things: the total number of positive references in the lyrics, the song\u2019s tempo in BPM*<\/span> and its key. The higher a song\u2019s FGI, the happier it is likely to make us feel. Simply put, happy lyrics, a fast 150 BPM tempo, and a major musical key all contribute to making music that we feel is full of positive emotion.<\/p>\nAccording to his FGI, Dr. Jacob Jolij classifies Queen\u2019s \u2018Don\u2019t Stop Me Now\u2019 as a great example of a feel-good song!<\/span><\/p>\n*BPM is explained in the previous part \u2018Beat the speed\u2019.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>The Sound of Space<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nSpace is thought to be completely silent because it\u2019s a vacuum, but there are still particles that vibrate just like sound waves. This means we can capture some pretty eerie but magical sounds from our solar system. These sounds are way too low for us to hear, so we use sonification to magnify them, which helps us hear them much more clearly.<\/p>\n
\n- Listen to sounds of space HERE<\/u><\/a><\/b><\/span>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Mathematical Musicians or Musical Mathematicians<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nAlbert Einstein<\/h4>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mathsweek.ie\/2025\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/maths-music-einstein-violin-300x233.jpg\")
Credit: Robert and Talbot Trudeau<\/p><\/div>\n
We know Albert Einstein mostly for his scientific discoveries, but he was also a well accomplished pianist and violinist. His wife remembers him playing the piano for a few noted while jotting down his notes and he was known to be up on stage playing the violin with well-known artists of the time.<\/p>\n
\u2018Einstein claimed that, had he not pursued science, he would have been a musician.\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n
Read more about Einstein and Music <\/span>in this article on<\/span> <\/span>theconversation.com<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brian May \u2013 Queen<\/h4>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mathsweek.ie\/2025\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Brian-May-Queen-astrophycisist-NASA-300x233.jpg\")
Credit: NASA<\/p><\/div>\n
Brian May is a rock musician known for being in the famous band \u2018Queen\u2019, as well as being a rock star he is also an astrophysicist. He studied at Imperial College London and started his PhD when he was then whisked away into stardom in music. That didn\u2019t stop him though, 33 years later in 2006 he went on to restart his PhD which he finished less than a year later. His PhD was based on a different type of rock, a grainy rock cloud called zodiacal dust.<\/p>\n
Read more about <\/span>Brian May and Science in this article on <\/span>nationalgeographic.com<\/u><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Johnny Buckland \u2013 Coldplay<\/h4>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mathsweek.ie\/2025\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Jonny-Buckland-2011-maths-music-coldplay-200x256.jpg\")
Credit: Christopher Johnson<\/p><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Johnny Buckland is the lead guitarist in the band \u2018Coldplay\u2019, he also studied astronomy and mathematics at University College London where he met his fellow band member Chris Martin.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Where Numbers Dance and Melodies Count: Discover the Harmony of Maths and Music through this years Senior Primary Maths Week poster<\/strong><\/span><\/h2><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>You can see additional information and activities for this year\u2019s poster below<\/p>\n
To check out last year\u2019s Maths Week 2023 poster \u201dRugby Math\u201d \u2013 <\/b>click here<\/u><\/b>.<\/u><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/span><\/div>Click here for the PDF<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Back to Posters<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span>Activities<\/h1><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Fabulous Frequencies<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>So, what is frequency? Frequency is simply how many times a sound wave repeats itself. The single wave that makes up the sound wave is called an oscillation. The lower the frequency, the fewer oscillations we see, so changing the frequency changes the pattern. Lower frequencies tend to be deeper sounds and are low pitched, while high frequencies are squeaky and are high pitched.<\/p>\nFrequency is measured in hertz<\/span>, which is how many vibrations per second. It also measures different types of radiation, light and soundwaves.<\/p>\n\n- If we hear a frequency of 125 Hz, is that more or less vibration than a frequency of 250 Hz?<\/span><\/li>\n
- What do you think are the highest and lowest frequencies a person can hear?
\n<\/span><\/li>\n- Test your frequency range and learn more about frequency and sound <\/span>HERE<\/u><\/a><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A musical note\u2019s pitch is determined by its frequency, measured in Hertz. A tuning fork tuned to 440 Hz vibrates 440 times per second and produce the note A. When a musical instrument plays a note, it produces not only one frequency, but also a series of harmonics that are whole-number multiples of that frequency. <\/span><\/p>\n\n- For example, the first harmonic is twice the frequency. What is the first harmonic of the note A in Hz?
\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Pythagoras Rocks<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\n\n\t\tPythagoras was an important Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived from 570-495 BC. The real Pythagoras is obscured in the mists of time but he is credited with discovering that musical notes could be expressed in mathematical form and his famous Pythagoras\u2019 Theorem giving the important relationship for right angled triangles.<\/p>\n
Among the legends of Pythagoras there is one about his discovery of harmonics and that musical notes could be expressed in mathematical form. He once happened to walk past a blacksmith where some apprentices were at work. Listening to them striking an anvil he realised that different hammers created different notes. Notes on a stringed instrument depend on the length of the string and Pythagoras realised that certain sounds are considered pleasing together when the lengths of the strings are in particular ratios such as 2:1, 3:2 and 4:3. This led many to believe that the universe operated by mathematical laws.<\/p>\n
\n- If a string measures 21 cm, how long should the second string be to respect the 3:2 ratio? (The luthier doesn\u2019t have any longer strings available.)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Why do Musicians call out one, two, three, four?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nThe beat is basically the unit of time in a piece of music. It\u2019s a steady rhythm that underpins melodies, giving the music its pulse. Just like a text is organised with words, sentences and paragraphs, a piece of music is structured with beats, bars and phrases. Without this structure, reading music is like reading a text without punctuation or paragraphs. It\u2019ll be very difficult to read and understand the text.<\/span><\/p>\nA piece of music is divided into beats, bars and phrases.<\/p><\/div>\n
The written music always starts with the time signature. The most common is 4\/4. The top number shows you how many beats are in a bar. The bottom number shows which note represents a single beat. So, 4\/4 means there are four beats in a bar, and a semibreve* (whole note or the longest note) last 4 beats. A time signature of 2\/2 means there are two beats in a bar, with the semibreve* representing 2 beats. When musicians say one, two, three, four, they\u2019re basically just announcing the time signature they\u2019re using, at least the number of beats.<\/p>\n
\n- What does the time signature \u00be mean?<\/span><\/li>\n
- And 6\/8?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
* the name of the notes and their relationship is explained in the next section \u2018Take Notes!\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Take Notes!<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>If the time signature* is 4\/4, <\/span>the longest note (the semibreve) lasts 4 beats. So the next notes are divided by 2. Then:<\/span><\/p>\n\n- A semibreve is an empty circle and lasts four beats. [whole note]<\/li>\n
- A minim has a stem in addition and lasts two beats. [half note]<\/li>\n
- A crotchet becomes black and lasts one beat. [quarter note]<\/li>\n
- A quaver has a flag in addition and lasts half a beat. [eighth note]<\/li>\n
- A semiquaver has another flag and lasts quarter a beat. [sixteenth note]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u2013 How many beats do the different notes last if the time signature is 8\/8? or 2\/2?<\/p>\n
* Time signature is explained in the previous part \u2018Why do musicians call out one, two, three, four?\u2019<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Going a Beat Further<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nWe know 5 different notes that are linked with the times 2 table. But now, if we want a note to last 3 beats we have to write at least 2 notes on the music sheet. To limit the number of notes, they created the dot. If you add a dot, the dotted note worth one-and-a-half. <\/span><\/p>\nIf the time signature is 4\/4*, a dotted crotchet (quarter note) lasts one and a half beat.<\/p>\n
\n- How many beats does the dotted semibreve last in 4\/4?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Is the dotted crochet in 4\/4 last longer or shorter than the dotted minim in 2\/2?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
* the time signature 4\/4 means that the longest note (the semibreve) lasts 4 beats. Time signature is explained in the previous part \u2018Why do musicians call out one, two, three, four?\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Counting is essential<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nSingers and musicians can\u2019t afford to be out of rhythm, so counting is a must. Music is a team effort. If one singer or musician forgets to count, they might speed up or slow down, which can lead to a messy sound. Counting helps everyone stay together and the sounds will fit perfectly. That way, the music flows nicely and sounds good to the audience. It\u2019s like following a dance step: if you don\u2019t keep the beat, the dance can get mixed up!<\/span><\/p>\nSomebody else is counting too. All the time. For everyone. <\/p>\n
Conductors are always counting during a performance; they must keep time to make sure the orchestra can run smoothly. Of course, the musicians are counting too but it is up to the conductor to ensure that everyone is on time! <\/p>\n
\u2018Counting remains vital. This is especially true when not playing and you are counting the empty bars until you have to begin again. Let us consider one legendary example. If you are the tuba player in the famous \u2018Largo\u2019 from Dvo\u0159\u00e1k\u2019s New World Symphony, you play for five bars, then count \u2013 very slowly \u2013 for 114 bars, play for another four bars, and you are done. As a conductor, I am always counting, if subconsciously, and it would be expected that I give the tuba player a decisive nod at this crucial moment. But as a player, you may not want to take that chance, so you methodically count the 114 bars of 4\/4\u2019<\/i>, says Dr Ciar\u00e1n Crilly of UCD\u2019s School of Music \u2013 2023. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n- How many beats does the tuba player have to count before he can play again?<\/span><\/li>\n
- Read more about music and maths in the UCD magazine<\/span> HERE<\/u><\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Beat the speed<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>The tempo of a piece is basically just a way of measuring how quickly the beats occur. The tempo is usually measured in beats per minute (BPM). If a piece of music has a tempo of 120 BPM, that\u2019s the average for a pop song. That means there are 120 beats in one minute. To get it down to seconds, just divide 120 by 60, which is 2 beats per second.<\/p>\n\n\n- Let\u2019s take a look at The Cranberries\u2019 famous \u2018Zombie\u2019 with its BPM of 80, and Taylor Swift\u2019s \u2018Shake it Off\u2019 with its BPM of 165. How many beats per second are there in these two songs? Can you clap these beats with your hands in one second?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Happy Music<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nDr. Jacob Jolij, a Dutch scientist, came up with an equation to measure how a song makes you feel. The Feel Good Index (FGI) is made up of three things: the total number of positive references in the lyrics, the song\u2019s tempo in BPM*<\/span> and its key. The higher a song\u2019s FGI, the happier it is likely to make us feel. Simply put, happy lyrics, a fast 150 BPM tempo, and a major musical key all contribute to making music that we feel is full of positive emotion.<\/p>\nAccording to his FGI, Dr. Jacob Jolij classifies Queen\u2019s \u2018Don\u2019t Stop Me Now\u2019 as a great example of a feel-good song!<\/span><\/p>\n*BPM is explained in the previous part \u2018Beat the speed\u2019.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>The Sound of Space<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nSpace is thought to be completely silent because it\u2019s a vacuum, but there are still particles that vibrate just like sound waves. This means we can capture some pretty eerie but magical sounds from our solar system. These sounds are way too low for us to hear, so we use sonification to magnify them, which helps us hear them much more clearly.<\/p>\n
\n- Listen to sounds of space HERE<\/u><\/a><\/b><\/span>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Mathematical Musicians or Musical Mathematicians<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>\nAlbert Einstein<\/h4>\nCredit: Robert and Talbot Trudeau<\/p><\/div>\n
We know Albert Einstein mostly for his scientific discoveries, but he was also a well accomplished pianist and violinist. His wife remembers him playing the piano for a few noted while jotting down his notes and he was known to be up on stage playing the violin with well-known artists of the time.<\/p>\n
\u2018Einstein claimed that, had he not pursued science, he would have been a musician.\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n
Read more about Einstein and Music <\/span>in this article on<\/span> <\/span>theconversation.com<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brian May \u2013 Queen<\/h4>\nCredit: NASA<\/p><\/div>\n
Brian May is a rock musician known for being in the famous band \u2018Queen\u2019, as well as being a rock star he is also an astrophysicist. He studied at Imperial College London and started his PhD when he was then whisked away into stardom in music. That didn\u2019t stop him though, 33 years later in 2006 he went on to restart his PhD which he finished less than a year later. His PhD was based on a different type of rock, a grainy rock cloud called zodiacal dust.<\/p>\n
Read more about <\/span>Brian May and Science in this article on <\/span>nationalgeographic.com<\/u><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Johnny Buckland \u2013 Coldplay<\/h4>\nCredit: Christopher Johnson<\/p><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Johnny Buckland is the lead guitarist in the band \u2018Coldplay\u2019, he also studied astronomy and mathematics at University College London where he met his fellow band member Chris Martin.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
You can see additional information and activities for this year\u2019s poster below<\/p>\n
To check out last year\u2019s Maths Week 2023 poster \u201dRugby Math\u201d \u2013 <\/b>click here<\/u><\/b>.<\/u><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div> Frequency is measured in hertz<\/span>, which is how many vibrations per second. It also measures different types of radiation, light and soundwaves.<\/p>\n A musical note\u2019s pitch is determined by its frequency, measured in Hertz. A tuning fork tuned to 440 Hz vibrates 440 times per second and produce the note A. When a musical instrument plays a note, it produces not only one frequency, but also a series of harmonics that are whole-number multiples of that frequency. <\/span><\/p>\n \n\t\tPythagoras was an important Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived from 570-495 BC. The real Pythagoras is obscured in the mists of time but he is credited with discovering that musical notes could be expressed in mathematical form and his famous Pythagoras\u2019 Theorem giving the important relationship for right angled triangles.<\/p>\n Among the legends of Pythagoras there is one about his discovery of harmonics and that musical notes could be expressed in mathematical form. He once happened to walk past a blacksmith where some apprentices were at work. Listening to them striking an anvil he realised that different hammers created different notes. Notes on a stringed instrument depend on the length of the string and Pythagoras realised that certain sounds are considered pleasing together when the lengths of the strings are in particular ratios such as 2:1, 3:2 and 4:3. This led many to believe that the universe operated by mathematical laws.<\/p>\n The beat is basically the unit of time in a piece of music. It\u2019s a steady rhythm that underpins melodies, giving the music its pulse. Just like a text is organised with words, sentences and paragraphs, a piece of music is structured with beats, bars and phrases. Without this structure, reading music is like reading a text without punctuation or paragraphs. It\u2019ll be very difficult to read and understand the text.<\/span><\/p>\n A piece of music is divided into beats, bars and phrases.<\/p><\/div>\n The written music always starts with the time signature. The most common is 4\/4. The top number shows you how many beats are in a bar. The bottom number shows which note represents a single beat. So, 4\/4 means there are four beats in a bar, and a semibreve* (whole note or the longest note) last 4 beats. A time signature of 2\/2 means there are two beats in a bar, with the semibreve* representing 2 beats. When musicians say one, two, three, four, they\u2019re basically just announcing the time signature they\u2019re using, at least the number of beats.<\/p>\n * the name of the notes and their relationship is explained in the next section \u2018Take Notes!\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> \u2013 How many beats do the different notes last if the time signature is 8\/8? or 2\/2?<\/p>\n * Time signature is explained in the previous part \u2018Why do musicians call out one, two, three, four?\u2019<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> We know 5 different notes that are linked with the times 2 table. But now, if we want a note to last 3 beats we have to write at least 2 notes on the music sheet. To limit the number of notes, they created the dot. If you add a dot, the dotted note worth one-and-a-half. <\/span><\/p>\n If the time signature is 4\/4*, a dotted crotchet (quarter note) lasts one and a half beat.<\/p>\n * the time signature 4\/4 means that the longest note (the semibreve) lasts 4 beats. Time signature is explained in the previous part \u2018Why do musicians call out one, two, three, four?\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Singers and musicians can\u2019t afford to be out of rhythm, so counting is a must. Music is a team effort. If one singer or musician forgets to count, they might speed up or slow down, which can lead to a messy sound. Counting helps everyone stay together and the sounds will fit perfectly. That way, the music flows nicely and sounds good to the audience. It\u2019s like following a dance step: if you don\u2019t keep the beat, the dance can get mixed up!<\/span><\/p>\n Somebody else is counting too. All the time. For everyone. <\/p>\n Conductors are always counting during a performance; they must keep time to make sure the orchestra can run smoothly. Of course, the musicians are counting too but it is up to the conductor to ensure that everyone is on time! <\/p>\n \u2018Counting remains vital. This is especially true when not playing and you are counting the empty bars until you have to begin again. Let us consider one legendary example. If you are the tuba player in the famous \u2018Largo\u2019 from Dvo\u0159\u00e1k\u2019s New World Symphony, you play for five bars, then count \u2013 very slowly \u2013 for 114 bars, play for another four bars, and you are done. As a conductor, I am always counting, if subconsciously, and it would be expected that I give the tuba player a decisive nod at this crucial moment. But as a player, you may not want to take that chance, so you methodically count the 114 bars of 4\/4\u2019<\/i>, says Dr Ciar\u00e1n Crilly of UCD\u2019s School of Music \u2013 2023. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n Dr. Jacob Jolij, a Dutch scientist, came up with an equation to measure how a song makes you feel. The Feel Good Index (FGI) is made up of three things: the total number of positive references in the lyrics, the song\u2019s tempo in BPM*<\/span> and its key. The higher a song\u2019s FGI, the happier it is likely to make us feel. Simply put, happy lyrics, a fast 150 BPM tempo, and a major musical key all contribute to making music that we feel is full of positive emotion.<\/p>\n According to his FGI, Dr. Jacob Jolij classifies Queen\u2019s \u2018Don\u2019t Stop Me Now\u2019 as a great example of a feel-good song!<\/span><\/p>\n *BPM is explained in the previous part \u2018Beat the speed\u2019.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Space is thought to be completely silent because it\u2019s a vacuum, but there are still particles that vibrate just like sound waves. This means we can capture some pretty eerie but magical sounds from our solar system. These sounds are way too low for us to hear, so we use sonification to magnify them, which helps us hear them much more clearly.<\/p>\n Credit: Robert and Talbot Trudeau<\/p><\/div>\n We know Albert Einstein mostly for his scientific discoveries, but he was also a well accomplished pianist and violinist. His wife remembers him playing the piano for a few noted while jotting down his notes and he was known to be up on stage playing the violin with well-known artists of the time.<\/p>\n \u2018Einstein claimed that, had he not pursued science, he would have been a musician.\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n Read more about Einstein and Music <\/span>in this article on<\/span> <\/span>theconversation.com<\/span><\/u><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Credit: NASA<\/p><\/div>\n Brian May is a rock musician known for being in the famous band \u2018Queen\u2019, as well as being a rock star he is also an astrophysicist. He studied at Imperial College London and started his PhD when he was then whisked away into stardom in music. That didn\u2019t stop him though, 33 years later in 2006 he went on to restart his PhD which he finished less than a year later. His PhD was based on a different type of rock, a grainy rock cloud called zodiacal dust.<\/p>\n Read more about <\/span>Brian May and Science in this article on <\/span>nationalgeographic.com<\/u><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Credit: Christopher Johnson<\/p><\/div>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Johnny Buckland is the lead guitarist in the band \u2018Coldplay\u2019, he also studied astronomy and mathematics at University College London where he met his fellow band member Chris Martin.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/span><\/div>Activities<\/h1><\/span>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Fabulous Frequencies<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n
\n<\/span><\/li>\n\n
\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/i><\/span>Pythagoras Rocks<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Why do Musicians call out one, two, three, four?<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Take Notes!<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Going a Beat Further<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Counting is essential<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Beat the speed<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Happy Music<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
<\/i><\/i><\/span>The Sound of Space<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
\n
<\/i><\/i><\/span>Mathematical Musicians or Musical Mathematicians<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
Albert Einstein<\/h4>\n
Brian May \u2013 Queen<\/h4>\n
Johnny Buckland \u2013 Coldplay<\/h4>\n