Pythagoras (569-490 BC) established that the octave (the ratio 1:2 of a string's length) was the fundamental musical interval and saw it as a sign that nature itself, including the planetary orbits ...

The ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras proposed a mathematical argument for what music sounds best to the ear: According to legend, he said listeners preferred music with chords adhering to perfect ...

An ancient Greek belief about the most pleasing combinations of musical notes – often attributed to the philosopher Pythagoras – doesn’t actually reflect the way people around the world appreciate ...

In defence of Pythagoras, that he showed us music was based on harmonic intervals was a very impressive analysis with the primitive tools at his disposal. What is more, some of nature’s most wonderful ...