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“Using Binary Numbers in Music”

by Vi Hart

in Proceedings of the 11th Annual BRIDGES Conference: Mathematics, Music, Art, Architecture, Culture (BRIDGES 2008), Leeuwarden, Netherlands, July 2008, to appear

Paper in PDF format (233KB)

Abstract: Composing using binary numbers as rhythms can create music that is both interesting and accessible. I shall demonstrate, using whimsical examples, that binary numbers and music can indeed live in harmony.

Musical Examples

s-a-s-h-a Media player: Click to play (3 min 28 sec)
Fibonacci Media player: Click to play (39 sec)
π (pi) Media player: Click to play (14 sec)
Self-Referential Piano & Flute Media player: Click to play (24 sec)
Self-Referential String Quartet Media player: Click to play (14 sec)
Inverted (1/0) Self-Referential String Quartet Media player: Click to play (15 sec)
Multiples of 1, 2, 3, and 5 Media player: Click to play (13 sec)
Two Related Sequences (areas of triangles) Media player: Click to play (34 sec)
Backwards Binary (least significant bit first) Media player: Click to play (12 sec)