IA ideas · for IB Music students
Maths IA ideas for music students
Music is full of mathematics you can hear: notes are frequencies, intervals are ratios, scales are geometric sequences, harmonics are sums of sine waves, two close notes beat at the difference of their frequencies, and even rhythms can come from Euclid's algorithm.
These ideas suit musicians who want a Maths IA they care about. Most use your own instrument and a phone app to record sound, so the data is yours from the start.
Accessible (3)
Solid (4)
- Why do a flute and a violin sound different on the same note?AA SLAA HLAI SLAI HLSolid
- Why does a piano have twelve notes per octave?AA SLAA HLAI SLAI HLSolid
- Why do two nearly-equal notes 'wobble'? Beats and trigonometric identitiesAA SLAA HLAI SLAI HLSolid
- Spreading beats evenly: Euclid's algorithm and musical rhythmAA SLAA HLSolid
More in this area: all art, music & design IA ideas. Thinking of using the same topic or data as another IA? Check your school's policy and ask both teachers first.
Frequently asked questions
What maths is in music?
Sine waves and their sums (harmonics and timbre), ratios and logarithms (intervals and tuning), geometric sequences (equal temperament and fret spacing), trigonometric identities (beats) and number theory (rhythms).
Do I need special equipment for a music IA?
No. A phone with a free app such as phyphox can record waveforms and frequency spectra, and a ruler measures an instrument.
Is the golden ratio in music a good IA?
Only if you test a specific claim properly with measurements and statistics. Most popular claims don't survive careful measurement, and showing that can itself be a good IA.
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