The Amen Break and the Golden Ratio

Mathematician Michael S. Schneider saw a wave form of the well-known drum sequence known as the Amen Break. It’s a drum 5.2 second sequence performed by Gregory Cylvester Coleman of The Winstons and has been sampled and used by countless artists since it was recorded in the 60s. Schneider, seeing the waveform through the eyes of a math professor, recognized a pattern, a relationship called the Golden Ratio. So he began to analyze the drum sequence and its deeper meaning.

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.

Link -via the Presurfer

Newest 5

Newest 5 Comments

oops someone already posted that link. oh well.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

This is very very interesting. I am amazed at anything related to the golden ratio. Now this is also a great overview of the "amen break" itself. I found this very well made.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SaFTm2bcac

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

I hate to be the bearer of negative news but this beat was alive and well a few years before the Winstons used it in '69. When I played in a garage band in during most of the 60's, our first drummer was using it in '65 or '66. He used to call it the Seattle beat. The northwest bands were using it in the early 60's--like the Wailers and Kingsmen and a local favorite, the Beachcombers.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

The article is horrible but the Amen Break is very interesting in itself. I'm going to also recommend the video that Moodindigo posted above.