Download Symmetry and Music:

Symmetry and Music:
The relationship between music and
geometrical transformations
By Alyssa Zerby
examples of various songs
• “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”
• “Row Row Row Your Boat”
• “When the HAWKS Go Marching In”
• “Happy Birthday”
Different kinds of
Symmetry
• Auditory
– Musical forms
• Visual
– Structure of notes or words
– Represented in graphs/sketches of
functions
Geometrical
Transformations
• Translation/Slide
– Repeat
– Transposition
• Reflection/Flip
• Glide Reflection
• Rotation
Goals and Objectives
• To introduce a new connection between
mathematics and music: the song and
geometry
• For students to be able to identify (and
understand) certain geometrical ideas
in music
Assessment Strategies
• Think of a new example of a song with
some type of symmetry and/or geometrical
transformation
• Create own melody using symmetry and
geometric tranformations
Lesson and Feedback
• Use more audio and visual examples
• Possible use of a music lab (activity
involving pianos)
• Creative and authentic assessments
• Inability to read music did not affect the
lesson