image: This is an image of the space of three-note chord types. Ordinary musical terms such as "major chord" or "minor chord" refer to points in this space. At almost every point in the space one can move in six different directions, as can be seen from the triangular grid on the cone's surface. However at some points (such as the tip of the cone, or the base) there are fewer directions to move, due to the inherent symmetry of musical space. The red sphere is the augmented triad, which divides the octave into three even pieces. The blue sphere represents the chord with three copies of the same note. Traditional Western music uses chords that are found near the tip of the cone, and hence are quite close together. This image relates to article that appeared in the April 18, 2008 issue of the journal Science, published by AAAS. The study, by Dr. Clifton Callender of Florida State University and colleagues, was titled "Generalized Voice-Leading Spaces." view more
Credit: Image courtesy of <i>Science</i>/AAAS