there are only so many combinations of musical notes in existence. So how have we not run out yet?
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On a mathematical basis only, combinations work like you sag only if you a defined number of “objects” to put in a defined number of “places”.
I have a finite number of combinations only if I say something like “how many melodies can I create with just *twenty notes* (places), considering only the *natural notes* (=7 notes, objects)?” This means you have seven notes to repeat how the hell you want to a maximum of twenty times: 7^10 = 7x7x7x7x7x7x7x7x7x7= 282.475.249 combinations. If you go up to 20 notes you have already 7^20 = 79.792.266.297.612.001 combinations.
Now, no one is telling you that you cannot create a melody with 57 notes, so, potentially, as you don’t have a defined number of “places”, you don’t have a defined number of combinations. There is an infinite amount of melodies, and as infinite is not a rational number, regardless of how many already exist there is an infinite number of melody yet to be composed.
This was the math, to that infinite number add that, as someone else already said, there is a ridiculous number of other variables to consider, for example: there are seven notes *in an octave*, and we can hear a span of about 10 octaves, from 16 to 16.000 hz, which means 70 pure notes (tones) plus all the # and b (semitones), an octave with the tones and semitones is 12 notes, so we actually hear more than 120 notes if I’m not wrong (I just did a quick math, if someone knows better they’re free to disagree).
Other variables are the tone, the various instruments, the tempo, the duration of the notes, the accent, the sound effects, the genras evolving and a bajillion other things.
So practically no, there isn’t a finite number of music melodies, and even if there was one, we’re nowhere even close to run out of combinations.
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