cs.SDAug 28, 2026

Klangfarbenakkord and Klangfarbenharmonien Metric Space Models for Music on Informational Geometry 1

Authors: Yusei Tamura, Shigekazu Ishihara, Ken Ito

Organizations: The University of Tokyo 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, JAPAN · Hiroshima International University 555-36 Kurose Gakuen-dai, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima JAPAN

Abstract

This paper deals with the introduction of "geometric harmony", a discipline that explicitly addresses the spectral characteristics of musical gamut. The framework of Western music, from Renaissance to the present, represents sound in terms of "pitch"-as is evident from its five-line staff notation system-and employs the fundamental frequency as its representative value, 440 Hz, etc. In this paper, by taking the timbres of specific individual instruments as elements and examining the Wasserstein distance between two voices, and Wasserstein deviations between three or more voices, we demonstrate that it is possible to expand the system whilst retaining the entire framework of conventional music theory. At the same time, as an example of practical utility in ensemble playing, we provide a detailed account of the two-voices affinity of the "Throat G" on clarinet, a note known for its fragility in ensemble contexts.

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