Music and Sacred Geometry

I remember sitting in a parking lot near Capitol Hill with jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd in his van and his wife in the driver’s seat, talking for two hours about his music and math program.  He was working on compositions that were based on the geometry of African Adinkra symbols.  Unfortunately I can’t find the notebook that I had where I took notes from our conversation (this was before I had my handheld recorder).

As Dr. Byrd knew, music and math are closely linked and our current Western system of music goes back centuries to Pythagoras (who got his training from the Egyptians) who is credited with discovering the harmonics of sound.  Our musical scales and subsequently our harmony are built off of these mathematical relationships.  Many researchers over the years have begun to see the connection between music and math especially since quantum physics has shown that everything in the universe can be described as a wave (and consequently a sound wave).

Vibration is understood to be the basis of the cosmos.  Everything has a frequency and thus can be expressed as a ratio of sound.  People are now referring to the universe as a “uni-verse” or “one song.”

When people talk about sacred geometry they are referring to the study of various mathematical shapes, such as the Platonic solids, and how they are related to spiritual concepts like chakras.  These geometric shapes are also correlated with different aspects of nature as in the four directions, the four states of matter, the four elements, etc.  Other references include equations such as the Phi ratio and the Fibonacci series.

In this video from Spirit Science, the key forms in sacred geometry are outlined in a fun and engaging way.  They show how much of the science that comes out of studying these shapes, is connected to and congruent with many religions and faiths.  

The Platonic Solids

The 5 shapes that fit the basic criteria of having the same shape of equal sides with the same angles fitting within a sphere: Cube (earth, solid), Isocehedron (water, liquid), Tetrahedron (fire, plasma), Octahedron (air, gas), Dodecahedron (ether)

by NetKismet

The Fruit of Life

This hexagonal image is the foundation of all the sacred geometrical designs.  The Platonic solids can all be found within its shape and it also contains another shape that is even more stable than the solids: the cuboctahedron.  It is a mix of the cube and the octahedron.

by Daniel M. Short

The Phi Ratio

One of the most direct connections with music and math is the calculation of the Phi ratio or Golden Mean.  One of the examples in the Spirit Science movie shows how Phi is calculated.  It shows a rod being divided into two parts to give the ratio of Phi 1.6180339.

by Stannerd

Well if you want to find out the harmonies in music you would do the same thing, divide a string into separate parts and create the harmonics on that string. 

Phi is the basis for all mathematical sequences and the harmonic series is the basis for all musical scales.

Phi is found throughout nature and even Egyptian and Greek architecture.  The measurements of butterflies, fish, humans etc. all calculate to the Phi ratio.

Fibonacci Series

Creation is not as precise in creating the Phi ratio.  It approaches Phi by using the Fibonacci series getting closer and closer to perfection but not actually achieving it. You can see this series in pine cones, sea shells, sunflowers, etc.  The Fibonacci series adds one number and the previous number to create a new sequence.

1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 ……

by ENGRIPS

I’m sure Donald Byrd’s drawings and tunes could have been analyzed using some of this information and hearing him talk about is program was definitely an inspiration to me.  By diving deeper into some of these concepts, I am continually inspired to create music that will hopefully help others harmonize themselves to the song of the cosmos.