Why are there only 7 musical notes? Was it decided to divide sounds like that or are there no more in nature?
In: Other
There are actually 12 notes, of which 7 are chosen to make up a major scale.
No, this is not the only way to divide pitches. It’s the standard for traditional western music.
Why 12? Because some powers of the number 2^1/12 make rational numbers (with remarkably little error) with small denominators. For instance:
2^7/12 = 3/2
2^5/12 = 4/3
2^4/12 = 5/4
Humans can hear the relationship between pitches. When two pitches are related by a rational number, they sound pleasant.
Latest Answers