Music Theory to learn Practical Astronomy

Education first: Learn the parallel patterns common to both music theory and astronomy easily, even the most complex voicings simply by trainning and increasing your listening abilities.
Ask yourself: Is there an intuitive way to learn astronomy by learning musical principles ? And how would the fluidity expressed in the fundamentals of musical movements correlate with our understanding of the movements of the Sun, the moon, the polar star and the southern cross, and billions of massive groupments of objects revolving around us? This seems like a voluminous task at hand but music can certainly develop an intuitive feeling of the sound principles at work according to the nature and material of the voicing instrument. Music fragrance when expressed at heart will always mysteriously reveal its striking similitudes with the inner-working of this wonderdully magic universe.
The harmonious intuitive logic of musical expression
The idea here is to compare basic music theory and selected jazz voicings with the fundamentals of astronomy by a comparison of structure, metrics and linking ratios. For example the number 7 is common to both disciplines: 7 basic notes in a major musical scale and 7 days of the calendar week which suggests cyclic cosmic days and planetary influences within our solar rotational system:
Sunday (Dimanche in french) to the Sun; Monday (Lundi in french) the moon day; Tuesday (Mardi in french) to Mars; wednesday (Mercredi in french) to Mercury, Tuesday (Jeudi in french) to Jupiter, Friday (Vendredi in french) Saturday (Samedi in french, sabbado in spanish) to balanced Saturn.
Similary the number 12 is a shared structure: generally 12 chromatic tones within an octave and 12 months of the astronomical year, Considerations on tuning systems are also to be considered as regards to the tone and qualities of overtones series created.
The fundamental observations: The original sound of creation and its unique qualities
It is important to understand the mecanics of the skies in order to grasp the functionning of our bio-energy and that is exactely what music can do: it undoubtedly teaches, even to simple beginners, how our cosmic clock works internally as well as externally in very intuitive ways that are well grounded on a solid scientific background. Here is a link for my free ebook on music theory if you are a beginner:.....so that everyone can easily understand the concepts presented in this present creative project.
Astronomic correspondences are subtlely codified in our human perception of musical vibrations. In order to illustrate this statement, The sinusoidal or spiral form of the wave length of sounds even suggest notions of rotation as we shall attempt illustrate. When considering the 7 days of the week and the 12 months of the year for instance, here immediately seems to be a correspondence with 7 musical modes and the chromatic scale as we will discuss in the following section.
The 12 constellations framework: twelve months of the calendar year codified in musical form
If we consider the natual C major scale (that is the melody C D E F G A B , with the A tuned between 432 Hz and 440 Hz), the piano instrument shows us that the white keys correspond to the C major melody while the black notes forming a resutling F# pentatonic scale are the altered notes, giving us in total 7 +5 = 12 notes just like the 12 months of the calendar year. So now we just need to identify which note correspond to which month.
But before let sumarize quickly our musical perception of the 7 notes of a natural C major scale: geometric patterns reveal a hidden altered group of 2, 3 and 5 black notes, but more percerptibly a group of 3 and 4 white notes. All these generated numbers seems to follow a Fibonacci number sequence except for the initial 7 and the last 4. Therefore, let us observe these two groups more closely the initial 7 and its group of 4:
The group of 4 is F G A B suggesting a series of 4 consecutive notes from the C major scale.
Moreover, when we intuitively observe the structure of C major more closely including an octvave (8 being the next fibonacci number in the spiralic sequence) we can actually divide it into two blocks of 4 with identical geometric structures (usually refered to as 'tertracords' in classical harmony):
The inferior tetracord C D E F and the superior tetrachord G A B C (note the reoccuring semi-tone between E and F, and between B and high C, which regulates the scale as the melodic pitch increases).
By inference in a cycles of fourths it results that:
the superior tetracord of the G major scale is the inferior tetracord of the C major scale
the superior tetracord of the C major scale is the imferior tetracord of the F major scale
We could henceforth identify a structure of monthly successions according to a cycle of fourths (or fifths in the opposite direction). if we start with the F and replace the C by its tritone sbsitutution the F# then we can proceed in a chromatic manner and identify F as January, the white notes then having 31 days in the calendar year and the black notes having only 30 days.
Resulting structures and patterns in rotative creation: The precession of equinoxes
The F# would refer to the month of February which is 28 days (4times 7 days) and regulated to 29 every on a bissextile year (each 4 years). This happen because the stellar year is actually 365 days and 1/4day making it full circle for the 12 constelations. This cycle is also responsible for the yearly phenomenon of the precession of the equinoxes (Please refer to the 2-5-1 voicings and tritone substitution to illustrate the 2160 years procession from one age to another by a descending chromatic scale)
We will examine the subject in further details to simplify those concepts since they intuitively reveal the key-link between the infinite cosmic clock and creation at biological level, a key concepts which lies at the root of frequencies, musical movements and which even governed kingly processions throughout the history of African civilisation.
Key-link between the C major scale, the F major scale and the G major scale:
myxolydian>>> ionian >>> Lydian
G >>> C >>> F >>> ....
Resulting cycle of fourths starting from C:
C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb B E A D G
And if such progression were to follow a major dominatnt pattern, then after tritone substitution the simplified cycle would appear as a set of overtones suggesting the simple chromaric descent: C B Bb A Ab G Gb F E Eb D Db C , in an equal temperament harmony. This is where resolution comes into play as ifferent types of 2-5-1 progressions can be created such as the very handy Dmin7-G7-Cmaj7 or the Bmin7b5-Mi7-Amin7. Therefore 2-5-1 sequences allow us to approach any chord with a singing melodic voicing. For some practical examples of 2-5-1 voicings, check the tutorial at the bottom page.
Now let us consider the scientific aspect of those numbers. For a fundatemtal reasoning, astronomy comes a good starting point of understanding that can be associated with the way we perceive lights and sounds as they manifest in our senses.
The solar day and the sideral day
In order to better understand the phenomenom of the precession of equinoxes, the perceptive noumenon constitute the fundamental basis that has been ritualy used through the ages to verify the mathematical conjectures of our ancient ancestors. For that purpose we will start by keep things simple and define the Solar day the necessary time for the apparently moving sun to return to the same point after one day and one night, and the Sideral day as the necessary time for a star to return to the same point after one night and one day. When using the traditional qwartz vibrating clock with the clicking second as unit, a solar day amounts to 24 hours while a sideral is about 4 minutes shorter amounting to 23 hours 56 second. This daily difference makes the sun appear to move through the twelve contellations along a path nown as celestial ecliptic belt.
The numbers
Numbers deserve to be observed with more attention because of the hidden laws they reveal ! In order to perceive the correspondance between musical movements and geometrical cosmic patterns, let us consider the numerals used in this reasoning, that is the digits that are used for the purpose of measurement: we will say a few words about the basic numbers from 0 to 12, their mathematical and cosmic meaning as well as their use in musical scales measurement.
0 is the starting point, meaning that every time we zoom a point or star in the sky we quickly realise that it is actually miles of clouds or massive spheres far away but apprearing as simple dots with naked eyes. Telescopes and microscope allow us to zoom points in the macrocosm and microcosm. The irrational number Pi is already encoded in any circle as a constant in relation to its radius and circumference. similarly, any note can be taken as reference for voicing a single sound, chord or scale.
1 as arab letter is the basic unit for an objet. In music the fundamental note determine the structure of chord, scales, singing and even the whole composition. Therefore C can generate a C chord a C-major scale or a whole song written according to a Cmajor tonality.
2 shows a first spiral as two different circles will possibly intersect in a maximum 2 points, generating a vesica pisces as a creating womb. We must also note that a centered vesica lisces generate square root numbers, golden ratios and other similar irrational numbers. Similarly in a major scale 2 semi-tones separate the 1st and 2d degree of the scale.
Let us continue our algebra in the most intuitive yet rigourous way.
3 stands out a broken circle in the realm of creation. 3 different points determine a triangular area, which geometrically can be inscripted within a circle or contain a circle inscripted within it, like a vibrating state of consciousness.: 1+2=3, Wow! Just simple truth. of the first sdditive principle. We shall notice later that 3×3 + 4×4 =5×5 and more other facts on the 3 but let us keep it simple for now as in music the 3rd degree actually determjnes if a chord is major or minor voicing.
4 is equal to 2×2, the first multiplying principle. This crossing path is seen as the 4th degree which the cycle of fourths, or a cycle of fifths in the reverse order.
5 is the 3rd prime number and the sum of the two previous 2 and 3. 5=2+3. Musically also, the perfect relation of a 5th dregree to the 3rd and 1st degrees of a major Chord is very consonnant melodically as we hear it when playing a major chord on a musical instrument.
6 is a spiral form product of the first two prime numbers: 2×3=6. Let us study this number in more dept.
Astronomically, we notice according to quartz vibrating frequency that 6 times 10 seconds make a minute, also that 6 times 10 mins= 1hour and that 6 hours make a quarter of a solar day. So roughly we have in total 6×6×6×100=2160 seconds for each quarter of day or night. 2160 years happen the time for an age to pass (Since we know that it takes 72 years for the sun to shift by one degree on the ecliptic belt), so that the position of the sun un the sky at a given point of the sky to shift to the previous contellation after its constant daily shift. Musically the 6th dregree is root of a relative minor 7 chord that perfectly substitutes for a Major6 chord built from the first degree. It is an occasion to note also that Em7 with C at the base gives a C9 and also that Dmin7 is only an extetension of a lower C chord.
7 is the perfect order as six equal circles generate a hidden 7th. Astronomically, 6 days genesate a sabbath according to the 7 day/week calendar. In music, the7th seems far from the tonic but is actually closest, near the octave or first overtone or the 1srt degree. The 7th degree is also determinant since the 3rd and the 7th determine the color of that cord Major7, minor7 or dominant 7. Notice how most prime numbers below 100 end with 7, coincidently with the unique sound of the dominant chords !
8 is the infinite loop.
9 =4+3+2
10 is binary code or binary star systems in practical matricial computing
11 is first prime number with 2 figures
12 is the dozen used for the daily solar clock, the months or contelations, and also the 12 pairs of cranian nerves ! Hence the intuitive subdivision of an octave into 12 semi-tones which generate a cycle of 12 successive 5ths.
Frequencies
A lot more can be said about 13, 14, and so on but let us come back to the 3, the second prime number: we saw that 3 stands out in the roots the mathematical laws as 1+2=3 and 3×3+4×4=5×5. This laws of pythagorus were well known in ancient egypt as the 3 pyramids of the Kufu, Gza and Mencarre display by their precise dimensions and geographical locations. 432 Hz (repetitions per second) and 440 Hz frequencies are well known to represent a 6th degree of the C major scale on traditional or modern musical instruments respectively, just as if earth and royal frequencies were the generators of man activities as we now them. Alpha and gamma waves are similarly witnessed in the cerebral and biologic activities of the human brain. Indeed dancing rythms follow a wave pattern while marching rythms follow a more linear pattern. We noted earlier that 6×6×6=216 ; now 216×2=432 the diameter of the moon in miles. Also there are 43,200 seconds in a day and in a night. Moreover 432×432 is very close to the speed of light in miles per second ! But do not worry we shall soon sumarize all these mecanics in a very simple way that will change the way you hear music forever !
we heal with music !
How wonderful to ascertain that musical knowledge, within its encoded structural form, certainly reveals the subtle wave forms hidden in the vast ocean of consciousness flying through chaos but determined to establish harmony! Constellations, frequencies, wavelengths, resonnance, rotation and elctro-magnetic fields... all these concepts are actually paracticed intuitively by all advanced musicians. We can efficiously study the fundamental cosmic sound and harmonies ourselves and even feel their effects and powers when active in creation. Let us root ourrselves to the earth in order to ascend: next month we will examine chords structures, 2-5-1 voicings and relate them to the ecliptic belt, the river nile longest river on earth, and some popular concepts of ancient african astronomy. Contact us to help or assist us in this universal healing process.
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