I’m wondering about the question of the number nine as it relates to octaves—out of curiosity, especially since Platonic philosophy has been so influential in Western culture. Christianity seems to be magically dressed up neoPlatonism, after all. Unfortunately, I’ve not read Plato and I’m having no luck with googling the question.

Both Nick and Burt, our resident appreciators of pre-Jesus Platonism, have offered to explain things via private message, but I no longer use the private message system. I’m always willing to use e-mail, but unless the subject is personal, I think it would be even better to discuss things openly.

I could understand 7 or 12 relating to an octave, but not 9. Also, in today’s age of robot-digital musical instruments, we’ve begun to lose sight of great musical subtlety available only by bending tones slightly, for truly inspiring effects. That’s where the art is, it seems to me.

But I’m now probably steering off course. Can anyone assist me in understanding the significance of the number nine as it relates to octaves?

nv - 06 June 2012 07:41 AM

I’m wondering about the question of the number nine as it relates to octaves—out of curiosity, especially since Platonic philosophy has been so influential in Western culture. Christianity seems to be magically dressed up neoPlatonism, after all. Unfortunately, I’ve not read Plato and I’m having no luck with googling the question.

Both Nick and Burt, our resident appreciators of pre-Jesus Platonism, have offered to explain things via private message, but I no longer use the private message system. I’m always willing to use e-mail, but unless the subject is personal, I think it would be even better to discuss things openly.

I could understand 7 or 12 relating to an octave, but not 9. Also, in today’s age of robot-digital musical instruments, we’ve begun to lose sight of great musical subtlety available only by bending tones slightly, for truly inspiring effects. That’s where the art is, it seems to me.

But I’m now probably steering off course. Can anyone assist me in understanding the significance of the number nine as it relates to octaves?

http://www.awakenings.com/jcms/enneagram-and-harmonic-studies/34-general-enneagram-articles/46-properties-enneagram.html

Here are a couple of links. I have no idea what they mean.

http://www.rwgrayprojects.com/synergetics/s12/p2200.html

http://aferrismoon.blogspot.com/2008/09/casting-out-nines-to-octave-wave.html

I will note that if you start at 1, not zero, counting from 1-9 takes 8 steps, so there’s your octave.

Any number can relate to an octave. A scale is how many segments one divides the octave into.

Do-re-mi is a twelve-tone scale.

And no, Mr. Nosel, the scale already starts at 1 instead of 0 so there are only seven notes of do-re-mi then the eighth is the octave or start of the next scale an octave higher.

See the new FUN thread…

Nhoj Morley - 06 June 2012 05:04 PM

And no, Mr. Nosel, the scale already starts at 1 instead of 0 so there are only seven notes of do-re-mi then the eighth is the octave or start of the next scale an octave higher.

I will note that if you start at 1, not zero, counting from 1-9 takes 8 steps, so there’s your octave. I was not making any musical statement. I was merely relating 9 and 8.

yeah, you were making a mathematical statement. I heard it.

Musically, nine steps does not get you do-re-mi. That would be da-ro-ma-pa-fo-ne-ba-lo-ne. Just as legit, too.