Anchored Harmony and Tonalities
The album Tonalibus A, B, & C (and three singles) now available online globally! On Spotify, YouTube Music, Deezer, Apple Music/iTunes, and on many more platforms. This album contains thirty-one pieces by Ulrico and spans two and a half hours of uplifting music. Further detailed information you find under Tonalibus A, B, & C in the Fidibus Shop.
This brief July 2021 Tonalibus update presents three new personal sound samples and one new cooperation sound sample. It highlights the global release of the new album Tonalibus A, B, & C. And there is a heartfelt closing note and image.
The new personal sound samples can also be found in the still growing collection Summer 2021, the new cooperation sound sample under Cooperation 2020-2021.
The album Tonalibus A, B, & C is a quite extensive collection of thirty-one selected personal sound samples by Ulrico. It contains two and a half hours of uplifting music recorded over the last full year. At the present time, this album as well as some singles from it are in the process of becoming available globally on many music platforms, e.g., Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, and more. Once released, the platforms offering this Tonalibus album and singles will be listed in the Fidibus Shop entry for this album. There you will also find a listing of its thirty-one tracks with their titles, their instruments, and their duration. Stay tuned for the the album Tonalibus A, B, & C!
This is an encouraging note just received from a friend in France who experienced a close loss:
“Dear Uli, thank you for the musical notes. I listen to them in the background when I write letters. They carry me along and accompany me on my way. Thank you for this universe!”
This May/June 2021 Tonalibus update presents new personal sound samples. It highlights the integration of another tonality into the Tonalibus catalogue. It provides an update on the Fidibus shop. And finally, it highlights Harmonic Experience, a massive book on harmony in music.
A good year ago, during the initial evaluation of tonalities to become part of the Tonalibus catalogue of anchored tonalities, what is known as Lydian dominant or acoustic scale and other names, was rejected because of being only partially anchored and appearing insufficiently harmonious. However, recent study and experimenting with it, now led to its integration into the Tonalibus catalogue after all. Following the current Tonalibus naming convention, being a clustered or melodic heptatonality, its Tonalibus name is LydDorian or ClusterPro.
Recognizing its inherent harmonic intricacy went along with the discovery that its most contrasting two pitches, the tritone and minor seventh, appear more harmonious when initially approached from above, not from below. Then, after introducing them from above, they gradually become also more palatable when approached from below. It was not the tonality that was insufficiently harmonious, but not knowing how to use it harmoniously that caused its previous rejection.
Following its suspension in May, the Fidibus shop is now again online. Current offers are sporadic mini-concert sessions and the CD A Symphony of Life and Love. However, Tonalibus exploration courses and individual sound mantras remain on hold for the time of their revision and eventual renewal.
The full title of this big 563-page book is Harmonic Experience — Tonal Harmony from Its Natural Origins to Its Modern Expression. The first sentence of the introduction summarizes its contents: “Harmonic Experience describes the full range of harmony, from its fundamental gestures to its most complex expressions, by means of the unifying principle of resonance.” — p. 1
It appears that W. A. Mathieu indeed comprehensively presents and elaborates on some of the same or very similar fundamental concepts of harmony in music that Tonalibus is based upon. However, it will take some time to assess and confirm the extent of this. For now, to provide an initial taste of his approach, here are a few general statements from the introduction to Harmonic Experience:
“Every rule and formulation ever made burns away at the moment of music making. Ultimately everyone makes music intuitively; individual circumstances determine the point at which the music rises above the mind and the intuition takes over.” — p. 5
“The Sufi mystics say, ‘The mind is the willing slave of the heart.’ The key word is willing. The intellect that wills to be in the service of the intuition is powerful and mature — the kind of mind a musician needs in order not to be paralyzed by knowledge. …
You find the balance between heart and mind by asking your heart what it really needs to become musically complete. If the question is clear, your answer will be clear too. Then your mind is finally free to offer service.” — p. 6
“You can’t learn music linearly. Rather, you learn it all at once, a little at a time.” — p. 7
“Sound itself is the teacher of sound.” — p. 9
This March 2021 Tonalibus, Spiritualibus, and Fidibus update presents an overview of new sound samples including some audio highlights. Then, along with quoting ancient Chinese wisdom, it refers to a clarification of Tonalibus purpose. Finally it presents some news on Fidibus shop offerings and two new photos. But to start, recent weeks brought a flurry of well over twenty new sound samples, including the integration of three further tonalities, as touched on below.
Three additional Reach heptatonalities found their way into the Tonalibus catalogue as sufficiently harmonious, though somewhat challenging to use. This brought about the subdivision between fully and partially anchored Reach tonalities. The distinguishing characteristic of the new additions is the shifted up Reach step in their lower tetrachord along with the lowered initial step (minor second).
“A being receives true value by the fact that it is able to shine in its own light as a result of its contact with the depths of the fundamental essence of existence. … Genuine light does not first need the recognition of people, indeed it is almost ashamed of its radiance.”
— from the introduction of the Tao Te Ching 道德经 by Lao Tzu (1972 Diederichs edition, p. 20)
The purpose of Tonalibus is expressed on the Start page. Now this has been expanded with a link to a clarification of purpose. Thus, this clarification expresses that I, Ulrico, really do not want to pursue any egocentric goals. But, with Tonalibus, I simply hope and aim to provide a useful reference of tonalities and to potentially inspire and motivate you to look at and work in your own individual ways with sound and harmony, anchored in spiritual freedom.
At this time, the offerings of the Fidibus shop have been scaled back. Thus, open mini-concert sessions are offered sporadically for specific dates, no longer on a regular basis. Further, the offers of individual sound mantra attunements and Tonalibus exploration courses are on hold for now. Besides some personal considerations, the main reason for this is to free energy and time for ongoing Tonalibus research efforts. Therefore, the Fidibus Shop currently has two offers:
The CD “A Symphony of Life and Love” — However, CD orders are processed through an independent distributor and all proceeds go to a Swiss non-profit organization.
Private or personal as well as occasionally some open mini-concert sessions
This February 2021 Tonalibus, Spiritualibus, and Fidibus update includes a brief purpose poem and references new sound samples below.
Recent weeks brought some challenges. For example, Tonalibus experienced and fended off many thousands of hacker attacks from all around the globe. Still, the refinement of this website continues steadily. Also, references to spiritual teachings have been removed based on a specific request.
A first person completed his personal tonalities’ evaluations and work on his fundamental pitch. Based on that, some improvisations came about for that person to listen to and use as he sees fit. This is the service the Fidibus shop offers as individual sound mantra. Besides a simple exercise to find one’s fundamental pitch, this includes a systematic, efficiently focused approach to determine what tonalities resonate most personally. This requires considerable effort by the individual. Then, in the end, we use the results of those efforts musically to create one or more improvisations in the individual’s harmonic context. The word mantra may well invoke a somewhat spiritual connotation. After all, Tonalibus considers harmony and sound as sacred qualities, akin to divine love.
My fundamental aim Consistently was and is to be Inclusive and not exclusive Absolute dogma is contrary To spiritual freedom Unfoldment and love To divine spirit and harmony If ever a leader, then to that Here and now present Inner and outer, both Shedding all holds for good Grateful for the love I wish us God speed!
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