(… continued from “Color Code, part 2“)

When we apply numbers to music, the poor fit becomes obvious. While the musical pattern repeats seamlessly, the number labels look choppy and awkward.

And it gets worse because letters have this same problem. Like the number line, the alphabet is also a linear pattern. So when musicians apply letters to music, we hit the same dead end. Again, these symbols can’t truly illustrate the cyclical pattern of music. So, combined, letters and numbers cannot lead to real understanding. As they say, two wrongs don’t make a right.

But what can we expect? After all, traditional symbols are just a crude, medieval system. So we get what we get, right? In fact, looking at music through these symbols is like wearing a pair of opaque glasses. If you can’t really see through the lenses, then what is the point?