Analogy

Math and Music

What do math and musical notes have in common? They are exact and they use symbols. They have different levels or ranges from low to high. Numbers can be combined to perform operations while musical notes produce melodies.

Math is an exact science. It is used in counting like what most of us learned in pre-school. One banana, two apples, and three cookies – these are the basics that teachers repeat every school year. One plus one equals two (1+1=2), one times two equals two (1x2=2), and four divided by two equals two (4/2=2). The basic operations taught to us in elementary before we can move to complex operations in algebra and geometry.

On the other hand, music is composed of notes. Do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti...There is also an octave where the pitch is higher or lower than the middle set of do-ti notes. The keys in the piano also give different tunes. Just like math, each note has an exact tune.

It is a challenge, therefore, to appreciate math and music. Mastery of mathematical concepts and difficult operations lie in the recognition of mathematical patterns. Developing memory techniques like visual representations can aid in recall and problem solving. Likewise, developing a keen sense of distinguishing the musical notes can also help in producing beautiful melodies.

"If distracted, keep your eyes on God."Mother Angelica (EWTN)

231 words