ReachNaMaj — calm sound sample — April 2022 — 2:52 — as loop on a separate tab
The tonality of the month of May 2022 is ReachNaMaj, a partially anchored Na tonality and Reach heptatonality of the subgroup ReachNa. In India, this tonality or musical mode has the name Purya. W. A. Mathieu refers to it as “one of the most beautiful modes in the world” (Harmonic Experience, p. 227). Further sound samples of this unique tonality are available in the Tonalibus catalogue of tonalities under ReachNaMaj. Plus, “Purya pūjā” — another call for peace (below) builds on this tonality and the above sound sample.
ReachNaMaj — 8-string guitar, gong, crotales, tanpura — April 2022 — 8:35 — as loop on a separate tab
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 do so using a spiritually charged syllable like HU or Ōṁ / Aum ॐ, or another mantra syllable that suits you.
Nature prevails with a friendly deer against all human odds — April 2022 — Chanhassen, MN
This April 2022 Tonalibus update begins with a thought on (im)perfection. Then it announces the May 1 global release of a new Tonalibus single entitled “Humpbacks breach the surface”. Further, it highlights the completion of playlist Tonalibus E and the recent living room concert in Liebefeld. Finally, this update concludes with the announcement of the blog post comment option and an inspiring quote on harmony.
(Im)Perfection — or what matters
“Abandon the idea of being good and just try!” — Charlie Mackesy
It’s not perfection or the lack thereof that counts, but what flows through, what one brings along and passes on. No expression is perfect as such. Though some are closer than others. What matters are the images coming through. That a story comes alive. That one may realize aspects of harmony, how ever flawed their expressions may be. This is what matters. Ever, there is ample need to improve and strive for more clarity in expression. After all, consciousness and life move forward continually. And every one’s invited to come along. Many fight it. Others crawl along on their bellies through the dust. While some enjoy riding the crest of the wave or flying above.
Upcoming single — Humpbacks breach the surface
On May 1, 2022 this piece will become available as new Tonalibus single by Ulrico (artist) on global music platforms like Spotify, Deezer, YouTube Music, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, etc.
“Humpbacks breach the surface” — a dreamscape (below) was conceived as an antidote to the global churn of these days.
Soon, a new playlist Tonalibus F will start to come about. By now, with 12 pieces and 72 minutes of music, Tonalibus E appears complete after only a few months. It is to be a part of the upcoming double album release Tonalibus D & E in early summer. This includes among other new pieces recorded in Spring 2022 also the piano piece “Wake and ready for a new day” and “Slackline dance” — straight ahead (below).
“Slackline dance” — ReachMin — 8-string guitar, bass, and tanpura — 5:37 — as loop on a separate tab
April 2 living room concert in Bern Liebefeld
Three musicians each presented their talents and contributions to a most receptive audience of almost thirty: Daniela Künzli with gentle protest songs from around the world. Lukas Frutiger with free improvisations including cover songs. Ulrico with anchored harmony in sound, blues, meditation, heart and soul, including “Slackline dance” (above) and “Guggisbärg” (live video excerpt below).
Short 1½ minute video excerpt from “Guggisbärg” at the April 2 living room concert in Bern Liebefeld
Spiritualibus blog and post comments
The Spiritualibus blog has been revised to allow for you to leave comments in response to new blog posts (below each, also below this one). Thus, please feel free to use this new capability. I’d love to hear from you. Some of the comments will become visible to all.
“A shelf of certainty” — April Tonalibus update conclusion
On harmonic purity, the experience of harmony, of tuning into harmonics or primary overtones:
“… it is ultimately a state of resonance — a kind of shelf of certainty — more than it is a sharpening or flattening of pitch that you will come to recognize as the experience of being in tune. It is more a sympathy than a measurement of distance, a quality rather than a quantity. … Blend into the ‘fundamental sound’ almost to the point of disappearing entirely, with no worries about coming back.”
The tonality of the month of April 2022 is ReachMin or Phrygian dominant. As fully anchored Reach or harmonic heptatonality, it combines a PhrygAeolian upper with a regular Reach lower tetrachord. That is the interval of an augmented second from its minor second to its major third. Thus, ReachMin juxtaposes strong but well rounded anchored contrasts. Among its notes, the major third is the most contrasting. The enriching, uplifting, and assertive quality of this pitch arises from being one of the first harmonics of the tonic.
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 do so using a spiritually charged syllable like HU or Ōṁ / Aum ॐ, or another mantra syllable that suits you.
Attractive cool waters before dusk — March 2022 — view from Erlach harbor, lake Biel/Bienne
This February-March 2022 Tonalibus update announces the global release of the album Tonalibus Cooperation A. First though, it highlights Tonalibus playlists with new personal sound samples. Thus, the playlist Tonalibus D is now complete. In addition, playlist Tonalibus E experienced a very decisive beginning. Then there is a recap of the February 10 cooperation concert in Basel. Finally, this update concludes with inspiring quotes on harmony and a corresponding comment.
A completed and a new playlist in the Fidibus shop
This playlist High Mountains on fire, light, and sound is now complete with 12 pieces covering 72 minutes of original music. “Courage it takes” and “無為 Wu wei – contemplation” came about from the preparations for the cooperation concert in Basel on February 10, “Blessings may be” and “Guggisbärg-Melodie” from live concert recordings.
This rapidly growing playlist Freedom of sound and harmony so far includes already 6 pieces offering 33 minutes of new music. This includes a rhythmic and a calm LydReach sound sample, “Happy birthday, Robin Hood! (for K.)”, “Thundering liberty and freedom”, “Bagisacro blues — let’s dance!”, and “Tagicrosago — W. A. Mathieu’s dark horse” that is offered as sample below.
“Tagicrosago” — PhrygDorian — tanpura, 8-string guitar, crotales, singing saw, gong — March 2022 — 5:45
The here mentioned new titles are available also under Sounds, individually and as loops. The recordings concluding playlist Tonalibus D as well as the two new LydReach samples are under Winter 2021-2022. While further recordings from playlist Tonalibus E are under Spring 2022. And the early 2022 cooperation sound samples mentioned below are under Cooperation 2020-2021.
As announced in a previous blog post, Cooperation A – the album was released on global music platforms on February 22. Details about it you find under Cooperation A — Album in the Fidibus shop. It presents spontaneous improvisations as in playlist Cooperation A, including the new “Starry Sky” and “Heart in Misty Forest”. A sound sample is offered below.
“Cheerful Hey, Hey! — a happy dance” — Mixolydian — voice by Christina Braun — 8-string guitar by Ulrico — 5:18
February 10 cooperation concert — recap
Concert car packed up to and on the roof
Cooperation concert venue in action
Fretted vichitra veena
8-string guitar
In the Happy Garden – sound & song
Cooperation concert with Ulrico and Marcel Haag QuBa, Basel February 10, 2022
More concerts in various cooperation configurations are currently being planned. A private living room concert with Ulrico is scheduled for April 2 in Liebefeld, a suburb of Bern.
“By singing a tone in tune, you tune your room and your family and your neighborhood. It is not otherworldly that this is so. You place the energy of your sound into this world, and this world’s energy does not die; instead, it transforms. And whatever it transforms into carries with it forever the history of your good intentions.”
Harmonic territory, “even if it proves impossible to describe, it is nevertheless your territory and is eminently possible to explore. A true musician knows the inner ground. Singing is the royal road to this inner land. Once inside, you become the mapmaker. You name the canyons and ranges, the hidden valleys, the underground rivers, the unnameable. The most amazing thing is that your map seems to be more or less identical to mine. (*) That’s why music connects individuals, communities, cultures, maybe someday a global population: We are more the same than different. And yet, vive la différence. Without it, music, like evolution, would be long gone.”
“Treat the naming systems … as if they were true. But we must remember that they are not quite true. It is crucial to understand the limitations of the names we use. The half truth of a construct in the mind can actually close our ears to the truth of a sound in the air. Incomplete or false constructs may lead us away from the subtlety we seek. … From now on we will have been forewarned, and prepared for imminent wobbles and collapses. We will understand and adjust.”
“It is powerful, upon hearing the music of strangers…, to recognize the common threads that connect the harmonic resonances of various peoples. This is not personal authority but the collective power of being human. Whether or not you were musically trained, you would sense the power of the harmonic resonances. But when you yourself can make such sounds, you realize the way in which you are this power.”
“Pure tones can learn to be alive inside your body.”
— Harmonic Experience, W. A. Mathieu, pp. 90, 94, 101, 129, and 131
February-March 2022 Tonalibus update — conclusion
(*) — Indeed, W. A. Mathieu’s harmonic mapping appears largely identical in essence to the one of Tonalibus. Although he gives much more weight to and nests also the fifth harmonic or overtone (the major third) besides the third one (the fifth or quint) as basis for his fundamental harmonic mapping. Tonalibus, on the other hand, sticks more closely to the pure Pythagorean approach, i.e., the quint cycle, and gives more weight to the natural sequence of harmonics or overtones. Still, it is most evident that views of harmony are rooted in commonality. As Mathieu put it above: “We are more the same than different. And yet, vive la différence.” After all, there is always so much, much more to explore and experience in harmony, life, and love. 🙂
Shadow profile on snow covered mountain brook boulders — February 2022 — bridge over Kiene, Fulbrunni, Switzerland
The March 2022 tonality of the month is LydReach / NaReach, a Na and Reach tonality.
LydReach / NaReach — rhythmic sound sample — 8-string guitar and big gong — 2:32 — as loop on a separate tabLydReach / NaReach — calm sound sample — 8-string guitar and tanpura — 3:58 — as loop on a separate tab
The tonality of the month of March 2022 is LydReach / NaReach. Thus, this is a Na tonality and a Reach heptatonality of the partially anchored subgroup NaReach. It combines a Lydian lower with a Reach upper tetrachord. As primary Na tonality, it is an integral part of Na tonalities progressions.
LydReach / NaReach exemplifies quintupling, not only off the fundamental, but also off the quint and off the quint’s quint. Such quintupling is what W. A. Mathieu puts into the harmonic foreground, in addition to the Pythagorean harmonic base of tripling (see quote below). Tonalibus, on the other hand, gives more weight to the latter and to the natural sequence of harmonics or overtones, much less to nested quintupling. However both, Mathieu and Tonalibus, express many fundamental harmonic principles the same or in similar ways.
From Harmonic Experience by W. A. Mathieu
“An empty shell for music is made by the doublings called octaves; within that shell, the interactions among triplings (called perfect fifths) and the quintuplings (called major thirds) account for nearly all the tonal music that exists.” — p. 32
Sound sample loops as possible sound mantras
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 do so using a spiritually charged syllable like HU or Ōṁ / Aum ॐ, or another mantra syllable that suits you.
Majestic Alps in the evening sun behind layers of clouds — February 2022 — Grächwil, Switzerland
