A warning: this first post is not educational. I won’t fully explain the meaning of the things I’m saying. Understanding it all will require knowing a little music theory.
I’m interested in the relationship between the overtone series and common chord types in western music. A major chord actually appears in root position within the overtone series of the note two octaves below the chord’s root, while the minor chord is a little more mysterious.
Questions to investigate:
- Can a minor chord be related back to a base note the same way?
- If not, what is it closest to?
- What overtone patterns are there between chords in common chord progressions?
- What can these relationships tell us about the nature of harmony and dissonance?
- Can we use the answers to any of these questions to help us compose music?
In addition to doing research online and asking knowledgeable people for guidance, I would like to investigate the math myself, using technology, and hopefully create some useful educational resources.