A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
- HDSarah
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A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
As many of you may know, Pi Day is fast approaching. Pi Day is the day we celebrate the ratio of the circumference of a banjo* head to its diameter. It's a day for math geeks and musicians to celebrate. Some of you may think this is an irrational thing to celebrate, and you're right. But just think about it a bit -- i.e., do a little "transcendental" meditation -- and I'm sure you'll see it's a good excuse for a party.
In honor of Pi Day this year, I decided to write a tune inspired by pi. Here's my first attempt, in abc notation. To get a copy in ordinary musical notation, or to hear a MIDI version (warning: MIDI from sheet music is always rather wooden), you can copy everything between but not including the dashed lines below, go to the abc converter at http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html and paste it into the box and click "submit." It will give a gif image of the sheet music, and there will be places to click to hear a midi file or to get a PDF copy of the dots.
--------------------
X:1
T: Pi 111 (a Pi Day Waltz)
C: "HDSarah"
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:G
B G c| G/d/a2 |A/e/ d B|d3/g/ a|faB|A/B/ g c|eAe|c2B|
BgB/A/|f/a/ d b|A/g/ gc|G/a/f G|e a/B/a| a2 B|f d2|G2 z||
||bdg|A/b/ af|c/a/c c/d/|aA2|B/b/f g|G/e/c b|e A/g/ e|A/b/ g2|
a a/g/e|A/g/b B|c/g/A d/B/|c A/G/ G/f/|bef|a g A/G/|c/g/ b/g/ e/d/|G2 z||
--------------------
It's a rather odd melody, but if you're even a little bit geeky you'll see the constraint I had to work with.
So, here's the challenge: Write a Pi Day tune, using whatever rules you choose to follow, and share it with us here. Then on 3/14 at 15:92:65 (this simplifies to March 14, 4:33:05 p.m.), play your favorite of the pi tunes to celebrate pi day. And eat some pie, and have your banjo*-playing friends join you.
*You can substitute "bodhran" for "banjo" if you prefer.
In honor of Pi Day this year, I decided to write a tune inspired by pi. Here's my first attempt, in abc notation. To get a copy in ordinary musical notation, or to hear a MIDI version (warning: MIDI from sheet music is always rather wooden), you can copy everything between but not including the dashed lines below, go to the abc converter at http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html and paste it into the box and click "submit." It will give a gif image of the sheet music, and there will be places to click to hear a midi file or to get a PDF copy of the dots.
--------------------
X:1
T: Pi 111 (a Pi Day Waltz)
C: "HDSarah"
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:G
B G c| G/d/a2 |A/e/ d B|d3/g/ a|faB|A/B/ g c|eAe|c2B|
BgB/A/|f/a/ d b|A/g/ gc|G/a/f G|e a/B/a| a2 B|f d2|G2 z||
||bdg|A/b/ af|c/a/c c/d/|aA2|B/b/f g|G/e/c b|e A/g/ e|A/b/ g2|
a a/g/e|A/g/b B|c/g/A d/B/|c A/G/ G/f/|bef|a g A/G/|c/g/ b/g/ e/d/|G2 z||
--------------------
It's a rather odd melody, but if you're even a little bit geeky you'll see the constraint I had to work with.
So, here's the challenge: Write a Pi Day tune, using whatever rules you choose to follow, and share it with us here. Then on 3/14 at 15:92:65 (this simplifies to March 14, 4:33:05 p.m.), play your favorite of the pi tunes to celebrate pi day. And eat some pie, and have your banjo*-playing friends join you.
*You can substitute "bodhran" for "banjo" if you prefer.
ICE JAM: "dam" good music that won't leave you cold. Check out our CD at http://cdbaby.com/cd/icejam
- dubhlinn
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Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
Jai Guru Dev...
One of these days I will learn to do that ABC stuff..
Just can't get me head around it..
Ears and sheet work for me..
Slan,
D.
One of these days I will learn to do that ABC stuff..
Just can't get me head around it..
Ears and sheet work for me..
Slan,
D.
And many a poor man that has roved,
Loved and thought himself beloved,
From a glad kindness cannot take his eyes.
W.B.Yeats
Loved and thought himself beloved,
From a glad kindness cannot take his eyes.
W.B.Yeats
- djm
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Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
I was once told by a math geek to shut my pi hole. Pi Day has never been the same for me since.
djm
djm
I'd rather be atop the foothills than beneath them.
Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
I assume folks are aware of this version of
The Raven wherein the length of each word
is the subsequent digit of Pi.
http://cadaeic.net/naraven.htm
We have a pie baking contest at work every
year around this time. I'm thinking about making
one like this:
And I shall call it "Pie are square".
The Raven wherein the length of each word
is the subsequent digit of Pi.
http://cadaeic.net/naraven.htm
We have a pie baking contest at work every
year around this time. I'm thinking about making
one like this:
And I shall call it "Pie are square".
- djm
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Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
Excellent!
djm
djm
I'd rather be atop the foothills than beneath them.
Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
You know, you can paste ABC into thedubhlinn wrote: One of these days I will learn to do that ABC stuff..
Just can't get me head around it..
Ears and sheet work for me..
Tune-O-Tron and get sheet music out...
http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html
The ABC format was not really intended
to be read directly. It was supposed to
be a way to share sheet music on the
Intertubes w/o passing big graphics files
around.
- I.D.10-t
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Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
"Be not deceived by the sweet words of proverbial philosophy. Sugar of lead is a poison."
- MTGuru
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Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
Very cute.HDSarah wrote:It's a rather odd melody, but if you're even a little bit geeky you'll see the constraint I had to work with.
Vivat diabolus in musica! MTGuru's (old) GG Clips / Blackbird Clips
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Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
- Innocent Bystander
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Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
May I have a large container of coffee after the heavy chapter involving quantuum mechanics?
Like the poem, but less to remember.
I was thinking of something that started FDGDA.... ...I might have something by next pi-day.
Like the poem, but less to remember.
I was thinking of something that started FDGDA.... ...I might have something by next pi-day.
Wizard needs whiskey, badly!
- fyffer
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Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
Now, the tune provided has its place, but it is not quite right.
The real tune never ends.
That's the one I want to hear.
The real tune never ends.
That's the one I want to hear.
___\|/______________________________
|___O____|_O_O_o_|_o_O__O__|_O__O__|
|___O____|_O_O_o_|_o_O__O__|_O__O__|
- HDSarah
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Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
I coach a MathCounts* team and every year I make square pumpkin pies for them the week before Thanksgiving. When the pies come out of the oven, I cut a Greek letter "pi" into the top, which widens as it cools. We eat pie, ponder the eternal question of "Why is it that pie are squared only when the pies are round?" and do a lesson on area, volume, and surface area.
*MathCounts is a national program for grades 6 through 8. Extracurricular clubs in schools meet regularly for math enrichment (and FOOD -- an essential part of the program!), and then compete in local, state, and national competitions.
P.S. I love the Raven poem! I hadn't ever seen that before. I'll share it with my pi-loving friends. Thanks!
ICE JAM: "dam" good music that won't leave you cold. Check out our CD at http://cdbaby.com/cd/icejam
Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
HDSarah,
I saw a tv program about a guy who could work out and correctly work out/recall pi to 20,000odd places it took him the best part of a day...
..found him, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Tammet
...Just thought I'd share that with you. *looks at shoes*
I saw a tv program about a guy who could work out and correctly work out/recall pi to 20,000odd places it took him the best part of a day...
..found him, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Tammet
...Just thought I'd share that with you. *looks at shoes*
Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
a bit off topic, but youse might like this one.
Arthur Benjamin: Lightning calculation and other "Mathemagic"
Arthur Benjamin: Lightning calculation and other "Mathemagic"
- MarcusR
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Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
Nice one Sarah!
BTW: Did you use all the 1241100000000 known digits to conclude that it ought to be in the key of G
/MarcusR
BTW: Did you use all the 1241100000000 known digits to conclude that it ought to be in the key of G
/MarcusR
There is no such thing as tailwind -- it's either against you or you're simply having great legs!
- HDSarah
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Re: A Pi Day challenge (for geek musicians)
It's "Pi 111" because I used the first 111 digits in the decimal expansion of pi.MarcusR wrote: Did you use all the 1241100000000 known digits to conclude that it ought to be in the key of G
/MarcusR
It's in G because we sometimes refer to G as "God's key" and I thought that was appropriate for something as cosmic as pi. D would probably have been a better choice for the whistle board, though, because it doesn't ever go below the "1" of the scale. (I made the "0" digits be the tenth note of the scale.)
ICE JAM: "dam" good music that won't leave you cold. Check out our CD at http://cdbaby.com/cd/icejam