Music: It’s Not Math!
We’ve all heard music compared to math, but are they really so much alike?
They are—but then, they’re not. It’s true that some of the areas of the brain that light up when doing math are the same ones that are activated when listening to or playing music. It’s also true that listening to music—and especially playing it—is likely to improve your cognitive skills and memory. But it doesn’t necessarily work the other way around. There are plenty of great musicians who are woefully deficient in math skills!
How is math irrelevant?
Artists don’t construct their works from mathematical formulas; they create from an authentic connection to pure consciousness. Likewise, we don’t assess the value of a creation or performance by how closely it follows specific principles.
We respond to music emotionally and, when we’re at our best, we perform from the same deep, personal place. Formulas, rules, and labels provide a way to organize the sounds we hear and communicate about them. That can be useful and satisfying in some contexts—but it’s not music.
How is music related to math?
The most obvious way that music resembles math is in the organization of beats and of harmonic components, or chords. Categorizing and organizing can be useful when you want to create your own music in a particular style or genre. They also enable you to choose chord progressions that you like or use appropriate scales when soloing. And, if you want to improve your ability to play by ear, an ability to name sounds and a basic knowledge of how those sounds are commonly organized provides a foundation for your study.
Learning the musical language
When you can speak, read, write, and comprehend a language, you’re fluent in it. It’s the same with music. And the more you excel in all of those areas, the more you’ll super-charge your brain not only for continued brilliance in music, but in all else you learn.
Studies show that learning and playing music can make you “smarter,” because you’re using both sides of your brain. That means you’re developing both the side that does math and the creative, “something from nothing,” side. I don’t recommend learning to play music as a way to increase your IQ, because I think playing an instrument is its own reward. But I have to admit, heightened intelligence is a nice bonus!
How to do it all
Cultivating your listening skills, your music literacy, your technical skills, and your creativity simultaneously is the best way to power your progress. I’m constantly observing and responding to each of these areas when I’m teaching, and I tailor each lesson accordingly. But you can learn to balance these skills yourself.
I’ve created a list of questions that will help you determine your best path and find the materials and tutorials that will help you. Check them out and return to them periodically to keep your learning and performance vital and evolving. Also, remember to work with the DAILY for optimal results!
