Tonality of the month: PhrygDorian

“Tagicrosago” — W. A. Mathieu’s dark horse — PhrygDorian — extended sound sample, calm — 8-string guitar, crotales, singing saw, gong, tanpura — March 2022 — 5:45 — as loop on a separate tab

PhrygDorian — sound sample, calm — 8-string guitar and tanpura — March 2022 — 2:45 — as loop on a separate tab

PhrygDorian — short sound sample — 8-string guitar — June 2020 — 1:01 — as loop on a separate tab

The tonality of the month of October 2022 is PhrygDorian — a clustered heptatonality.

W. A. Mathieu in “Harmonic Experience” refers to this intriguing tonality as “Dark Horse” or Mixolydian/Phrygian. He also expresses affinity for its “slightly off-putting mystery.”

The octave of a clustered or melodic tonality includes five whole steps and two half steps (or semitones). This is the same as for diatonic tonalities. However in a clustered tonality, either one single or a group of four consecutive whole steps, one and four alternating, separate the two half steps from each other. While in the far more commonly used diatonic tonalities, there are two and three, not one and four consecutive whole steps.

You may enjoy a sound sample or tonality loop as sound mantra for contemplation or meditation. This can help with upliftment, purification, and focusing. Or it could simply be used as soothing background sound for relaxation and regeneration. If you care to hum, chant, or sing along, you could use a spiritually charged syllable like HU or Ōṃ / Aum ॐ, or another mantra syllable that suits you.

Tonality of the month: PhrygDorian — Visiting toad before going back to its pond — August 2022 — Grächwil, Switzerland