One of the very odd applications of fractals is turning geometric patterns into sound patterns. If you read the lesson on chaos and fractals, you already know that the simple formula

is capable of creating a fractal. For different values of b, we can see that the value of x changes differently. For some values, it stays at some fixed point, while for some it jumps between several values, and for others it jumps around chaotically. If you graph the value of x, you get something like this:

If you now draw five lines through this graph and for every value of x put a note there, you will be able to play it as music. Choosing the right value for b, you can make music with a great variety of patterns. Today, there is a lot of fractal music software that allows you to play several patterns at the same time and choose different instruments. You can, for example, make some instruments play a non-repeating pattern and the other ones repeat a series of repeating notes. It isn’t Beethoven, but can still compete with many ultra-contemporary composers!

Related Links:

	Fractal Music - demonstrates basic idea of fractal music and even displays notes.
	Experiments with Fractal Music     Explains basic ideas behind fractal music
	The Music of Fractals     A small collection of fractal music