TECH Signal 397
Music theory derived from first principles with code, starting from a single number
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An article explains music theory by deriving notes, scales, and chords from physics and arithmetic using code, starting with a single frequency.
For engineers, this offers a computational path into music theory, grounding concepts like scales and chords in math rather than memorization. It demonstrates how the Web Audio API can be used to build and hear these concepts directly in the browser, making the theory testable and interactive.
Written by elseif from the cluster below · every claim links back to a sourceThe three things worth knowing
The article starts with a single frequency and derives the twelve notes, scales, and chords from first principles.
It uses the Web Audio API to generate sounds, with an envelope shaping the note's volume over time.
Written notation is introduced only at the end, after the underlying physics and arithmetic are established.
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