The Amen Break and the Golden Ratio

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
1

The Amen Break and the Golden Ratio

http://www.constructingtheuniverse.com/Amen%20Break%20and%20GR.html

[QUOTE]What I first noticed in the wave picture are the distinct peaks representing the beat. I considered the biggest peaks near each end as the limits of a whole.

Having looked at the geometry of the Golden Ratio a great deal, and its expressions in worldwide art, I have a decent sense of its place along a line. The Amen Break had that feel. For a quick check I used homemade Golden Ratio calipers to examine the peaks. Indeed, peaks pop up at Golden Ratio intervals, as do smaller peaks within them, reminsicent of the fractal structures in nature.

For more exact visual analysis I examined the wave image in my computer, in which I have a palatte of geometric forms and proportions for quickly identifying an object’s ratios. Sure enough, Golden Ratio relationships were indicated among the different peaks. Am I seeing things? You decide. But the appearance of the Golden Ratio may help explain its popularity.

To appreciate this relationship between the Golden Ratio and sound, it’s worthwhile to consider some of the ideal, eternal, unchanging principles of Golden relationships which can only be approximated in nature, and byartists, architects and musicians. I’m not going to re-teach here everything there is to know about this wonderful ratio since some great websites already tell you everything you want to know, such as this and this. Most pertinently, information about the appearance of the Golden Ratio in worldwide music, such as in the work of the classical composers Mozart, Beethoven, Bartok, Debussy and Satie can be found here.

For our interests, the main principle to appreciate about the Golden Ratio is this: A whole line may be divided in such a way that the length of the whole relates to its large part in the same way that the large part relates to the small part. In other words, the same relationship appears on different scales, comprehending a mathematically balanced whole.

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May explain why I love Jungle and Breaks so damn much!

2

Holy shit.

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^ Pretty much that.

4

This is why I love the Internet and DJTT. I have never even heard of the Golden Ratio untill this post. Very interesting info, an a great find! Thanks for sharing.

Guess it also explains why I love breaks so much too!

5

cool!

6

The golden ratio is everywhere. Some see it as proof of intelligent design, some see it as a fluke, but it is all over the place. The statue of David, the nautilus shell, architectural greats are built with the ratio in mind. I never thought of comparing it to the amen break through. It is said that perfection is in the golden ratio, and the most beautiful people in the world have faces that have points matching the ratio. Pretty cool stuff

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ok my mind is officially blown right now.

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Well, this explains a lot.

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interesting read, thanks op

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I think this is bollocks. If you look at lots of quantized drum beats they’ll have those same ratios because they’re played in 4/4 and the beats are regular divisions of the whole bar. I dont think this is unique to the amen break and i dont think its why the break is so popular. I think that has more to do with the tone of the sound, not the amplitude, which is what the waveform is representing.

11

I thought they proved that the Golden Ratio was BS…?

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That’s very mind-expanding and all, but I would think that a scientific approach would involve more than one measurement on a variety of waveform algorithms rather than “my home-made sacred ratio calipers say so and cuz SCIENCE, that’s why”.

Not being contrary for no reason, I just think that this is cool enough to deserve a closer examination.

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Don’t mock the Holy Calipers! :wink:

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I think Fibonacci’s ratio is quite pleasing for photographs

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I dont think “they” need to prove it. I think it proves itself to be BS.

Coincidence is great innit.

Id rather worship at the alter of the Bezier Curve.