Tonality of the month: PentaReg / PentaPhryg

PentaReg / PentaPhryg — meditative sound sample — 8-string guitar — December 2022 — 3:34 — as loop on a separate tab (or via right-click browser option, where available)

The tonality of the month of January 2023 is PentaReg / PentaPhryg (also known as blues minor), a Reg tonality and partially anchored regular pentatonality. “Penta” means five, “Reg” stands for regressive, and “Phryg” points to its relation to Phrygian. Pentatonalities consist of five pitches to the octave. The pitch pattern of regular pentatonalities includes two Reach steps or augmented seconds. One whole step separates them on one side, and two whole steps on the other.

PentaReg / PentaPhryg is one of a few Reg(ressive) tonalities in the Tonalibus catalogue of anchored tonalities. As Reg tonality, it includes its quart but not its quint. This gives its fundamental a different, more elusive feel. And its quart takes on more of a fundamental anchor role, because the actual fundamental is its quint, the first harmonic or overtone beyond octaves.

The correlation of Pro(gressive) and Reg(ressive) tonalities as twins and their inversions is a current focus of Tonalibus experiments. More about this could be forthcoming in the future.

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: PentaReg / PentaPhryg
Close to the source in the mountains — December 2022 — Chiene creek under Blüemlisalp, Switzerland

November-December 2022 Tonalibus update

This November-December 2022 Tonalibus update highlights a recent single release, as well as current plans for another album and a concert in spring. Further, it touches on new sound samples, derivative tonalities, blog post alerts, and Tonalibus’ new social media presence on Facebook.

Tonalibus audio releases

On November 28, “Phrygian HU” — a meditative blues was globally released as single on many music platforms (below).

With the relatively rapid increase of personal sound samples over recent months, the next album Tonalibus F & G may be ready for release already in early 2023.

“Phrygian HU” — Phrygian — 8-string guitar, voice, crotales, tanpura — May 2022 — 10:20 — as loop on a separate tab

Tonalibus releases appear globally on many music platforms, including Spotify, Deezer, YouTube Music, Apple Music/iTunes, Amazon, Tidal, KKBox, NetEase, QQ Music/Tencent, Yandex, Anghami, Boomplay, ClaroMusica, iHeartRadio, Joox, Kuack Media, MediaNet, NetEase, Qobuz, Pandora, Saavn, TikTok, Resso and Luna, Triller, Soundtrack by Twitch, etc.

In 2022, just on Spotify, some 90 people in 26 countries listened to Tonalibus releases for an average of over two hours and twenty-two streams each. That is encouraging!

April 23, 2023 Tonalibus concert in Meikirch, Switzerland

Currently a Tonalibus concert is being planned with Ulrico at 5:00 PM on April 23 in Meikirch near Bern. It will be either in the local village church or the Aula of the Gassacker school. Details will follow. You may reserve the date!

Concert sponsor:
Kulturkommission
of Meikirch, BE.

Personal sounds and playlist updates

November-December 2022 Tonalibus update

Playlist Tonalibus G has grown to 13 pieces, with new:
“Life is great!” — a celebratory meditation — for M
“Conscious derivative” — an island memory
“Gihahatigo Bhairav” — ReachBal contemplation
“Quad Pro square anchored octa Core” — (below)
“HexaNa Gita” — harmonic six-pack
“HeptaNa Gita” — harmonics medley
(available also under sounds of Autumn-Winter 2022)

“Quad Pro square anchored octa Core” — an exploratory journey — OctaCor, Core tonality derivative — 8-string guitar, gongs, harmonium — 9:08 — (loop via right-click, if available)

More derivative tonalities are emerging

The last Tonalibus update presented a first derivative tonality, a term now also in the Glossary:
Derivative tonality not included in the Tonalibus catalogue; slight mutation or challengingly harmonic variety of a catalogued tonality; e.g., HexaBlueUp as slight mutation of BlueUp without 7+, or the various derivatives of Core tonalities.

Six derivative Core tonalities emerged and now complement the corresponding overview visuals (below) but will not further integrate into the Tonalibus catalogue with its 80 tonalities. Derivative Core tonalities include: HexaLocor, Locor, OctaCor, HexaCor, CorMix, and CorMaj / LoloReachLyd. One of these, OctaCor, is the tonality of the above personal sound sample and is unique in that it is the first or so far only octatonality in the Tonalibus framework, i.e. with eight pitches to the octave.

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Cor(e) tonalities and derivatives are a diverse collection of specific hepta-, hexa-, and pentatonalites, plus one octatonality, with a common core. Though only partially or progressively anchored (with the exception of fully anchored BlueMix), they are uniquely anchored in that they contain all four corners of the sound temple. Besides the fundamental or octave, these include the minor third, tritone, and major sixth. Containing all four corners of the sound temple, they tend towards dissolving tonality. Thus they can open up more freedom in experiencing sound and rather unusual harmony.

In addition to the Cor(e) tonalities presented in the Tonalibus catalogue, there are further derivative Cor(e) tonalities, as shown above. These derivatives are more challenging and delicate to use so that their harmonic qualities carry forth. And even then, they are better used but in small dosage.

Finally, the next Tonalibus update will likely touch on several currently emerging TetraNa derivatives beyond the existing TetraNa progression inversions also not further catalogued. A fundamental miracle of harmonic nature comes increasingly into focus: Regressive tonalities tend to invert themselves naturally and all by themselves to their individual progressive twin tonalities.

New subscription option for immediate blog post alerts

November-December 2022 Tonalibus update

Below in the page footer, besides the monthly Tonalibus newsletter subscription option, it is now also possible to subscribe to immediate brief e-mail alerts whenever a new Tonalibus, Spiritualibus, or Fidibus blog post comes online.

Tonalibus social media presence on Facebook

Tonalibus now has a Facebook page as TonalibusUlrico or Ulrico Sacchet (accessible also under the main menu option “Start”) where some but not all Tonalibus, Spiritualibus, and Fidibus blog posts are shared with friends and a few also with the public.

November-December 2022 Tonalibus update conclusion

Life is great. Happy holiday season and a wonderful 2023!

November-December 2022 Tonalibus update
Old 7-string guitar in the Tonalibus top floor studio flooded by light and sound — July 2022 — Grächwil, Switzerland

Tonality of the month: LydAeolian / HeptaNa

LydAeolian / HeptaNa — calm sound sample — 8-string guitar — August 2021 — 2:18
LydAeolian / HeptaNa — expanded sound sample, calm — 8-string guitar and tanpura — November 2022 — 3:46

The tonality of the month of December 2022 is LydAeolian / HeptaNa — a clustered heptatonality and Na tonality. “Hepta” means seven and “Na” natural harmonics. The name LydAeolian indicates that its lower tetrachord is Lydian and the upper one PhrygAeolian. Its pitches are the first seven overtones or harmonics of its fundamental. Another name used for this tonality outside Tonalibus is Lydian dominant ♭6, which is related to the Neapolitan major scale.

The initial seven harmonics or overtones

Below are the initial seven distinct harmonics or overtones in the order of their appearance in the series of natural harmonics or overtones. Plus in parentheses is their actual order of appearance and repetition in the series. This demonstrates their prevalence and relative importance among the thirteen first occurrences of overtones in the harmonic series.

1) fundamental or octave — #1, #2, #4, and #8
2) quint or fifth — #3, #6, and #12
3) major third — #5, and #10
4) minor seventh — #7
5) major second — #9
6) tritone — #11
7) minor sixth — #13

Within the first thirteen overtones in the series of harmonics, the fundamental or octave occurs four times, the quint three times, the major third twice; and the minor seventh, major second, tritone, and minor sixth each appear once and in this order of decreasing prevalence.

Tonality of the month loops, as for LydAeolian / HeptaNa

The above LydAeolian / HeptaNa sound samples are also available as loop on a separate tab — or via right-click browser option, where available.

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.

In gratitude for nature’s gifts and harvest of harmony

Tonality of the month: LydAeolian / HeptaNa
Remembering of the bounty and abundance of nature’s gifts of love — August 2022 — Grächwil, Switzerland

Tonality of the month: ReachBal

ReachBal — sound sample, calm — 8-string guitar — October 2022 — 2:45as loop on a separate tab (or via right-click browser option, where available)
“Gihahatigo Bhairav” — ReachBal contemplation — expanded sound sample, calm — 8-string guitar, harmonium, tingsha cymbal pair, gong — 8:15 — as loop on a separate tab (or via right-click browser option, where available)

The tonality of the month of November 2022 is ReachBal, a Reach heptatonality, as identified in the Tonalibus catalogue. Other names used for it are double harmonic major, Gypsy major, harmonic minor over Phrygian major, and Byzantine scale. In India its name is Bhairav, used widely to express profound feelings. A key characteristic of this intriguing tonality is its overall balance and symmetry. The placement of its pitches, intervals, and axes of East and West mirror each other. The lower and upper tertachords have the same intervallic content. This results in a striking balance between very pronounced regressive and progressive characteristics, as well as major and minor elements.

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.

The sun rises above the clouds hovering cover the Alps — October 2022 — Grächwil, Switzerland

September-October 2022 Tonalibus update

This September-October 2022 Tonalibus update highlights the expansion of Tonalibus releases, sounds, playlists, tonalities, images, and this website. And, along with latest sound samples, this update touches on a new spontaneous cooperation project resulting in sound healing concerts.

New Tonalibus releases

September-October 2022 Tonalibus update

On Spotify, Deezer, YouTube Music, Apple Music, and Amazon, as well as many more music platforms:

Just released as single: “चैतन्य Chaitanya – blues” (below) — previously released on the album Tonalibus D & E.

To be released for the first time on November 28, 2022: “Phrygian HU — a meditative blues” — for now as single (then also on next year’s 2023 album Tonalibus F & G).

“Chaitanya – blues” — G# Mixolydian with D# TetraNa / A# Norcor inversion vichitra veena and double 3/4 violin — 9:47

Personal sounds and playlist updates

September-October 2022 Tonalibus update

“An embrace of divine love — no hypocrisy” and “संप्रयाण Saṃprayāṇa — departure from past to future, let’s go!” conclude playlist Tonalibus F “So many colors of reality”, now complete with 11 pieces spanning 112 minutes. The new evolving playlist Tonalibus G “Venturing far out and in” already contains 7 pieces of new meditative music. “Holy sham — a short sound excursion far out” is first in Tonalibus G but last under Summer 2022 Sounds. Further new additions are under the new Autumn-Winter 2022, including two recent cooperation sound samples.

“First encounter of old all new” and “Gentle blue light” are live recordings from the first musical encounter between Punnu Singh Wasu and Ulrico. Within one week, this led to two good size group sound healing concerts in Kiental, Switzerland. (See separate blog post Sound healing.)

“Celebration joy — a new start” manifested to participate virtually in a most special celebration of pure love and joy. This is a meditative fourth birthday wish and welcome on this planet from one side of the world to another. (Below.)

“Celebration joy” — a new start — TetraNa Mixolydian blend — 8-string guitar — 12:05

“No mistake — big sky, beach, rock, pine, broken branch” and “ॐ शान्तिः Om Shanti HU — with Elijah’s bells and cicadas” contain live flute recordings, orthodox church bells, and real cicadas from Hydra, a Greek island that is car-free. “ॐ शान्तिः Om Shanti HU” is further offered as “just chant and pluck”. And, to hear the overtones of low voices, as “plain chant only” (under Sounds and below).

“ॐ शान्तिः Om Shanti HU” — plain chant only — A# — low chanting voices in unison generating overtones — 4:43

Derivative tonalities beyond the catalogue

Derivative tonalities are slight mutations of those eighty in the Tonalibus Catalogue. An example of such surfaced in the recent sound sample “No mistake — big sky, beach, rock, pine, broken branch”. Its tonality description reads: Phrygian on A framing HexaBlueUp (BlueUp without 7+) on E. As such it introduces the new tonality HexaBlueUp as the catalogued BlueUp without its major seventh.

Tonalibus images and website updates

Sounds now presents its many sound samples in a new structure by year (and season), including also the yearly collections of Tonalibus images (previously under About).

Depending on connection limitations and such, there can at times be noticeable delays to load an image collection or a large sound sample. Thank you for your patience.

Some browsers (Firefox, MS Edge, etc.) now offer a loop option by right-clicking an audio item to set it to loop or to get a running loop to stop the next time the piece reaches its end. Sound samples offered on Tonalibus loop pages are often specially configured for looping, differing slightly from their single-play version.

The July 2022 Tonalibus update mentioned an isolated translation problem on this website. In languages other than English, some links targeting a specific place in the body of a page landed on the top of the target page instead of the desired location on that page. The developers of the used translation engine just now corrected this problem!

September-October 2022 Tonalibus update

September-October 2022 Tonalibus update conclusion

Life is great. Enjoy the ride!

Autumn-blue sky glowing above the dusk settling into the valley below — October 2022 — Kiental, Switzerland