Tonalibus Archives – Page 11 of 28

This July 2023 Tonalibus update touches on two recent concert adventures and highlights the rapid emergence of Playlist K “Refreshing as a summer breeze”. Further, it announces slight changes in the website menu structure and the expansion of the main page of the Spiritualibus blog.

Two recent Tonalibus concerts in early July

On Thursday July 6, Ursula Huggenberger and Tonalibus Ulrico presented a natural sound journey in the glorious acoustics of the Fideris church, Grisons. Live recordings, photos, and a brief story of this event are available under July 2023 live sounds. Further, a three and a half minute video clip is on Instagram. (Click on the crossed out speaker icon for sound).

On Saturday July 1, the Schlimo summer fest ’23 celebrated with an open-air concert and theater on the grounds of a magnificent estate in Gurzelen near Thun. Tonalibus Ulrico provided the opening of the live program with “Sound carpets, as refreshing as a summer breeze”. (There are no recordings from this event. Click on photo to the left to enlarge.)

July 2023 Tonalibus playlists update

Playlist K “Refreshing as a summer breeze” follows Playlist J, which was announced complete in June. So far Playlist K has already grown to present eight pieces covering forty-four minutes of new improvisations, such as some from the Fideris sound journey and a few with a new lap slide guitar, including “Fused oriental occident and occidental orient” (below).

“Fused…” — ReachMin (Phrygian dominant) on G# — fretted vichitra veena, lap slide guitar, crotales, tanpura — 8:01

Tonalibus website update of July 2023

The main menu structure changed slightly in the order of its options. In the Fidibus shop, all Playlists now appear grouped with all their titles. Tonalities of the month moved under Tonalities, and Chromaticism and modulation under Concepts. Further, the main page of the Spiritualibus blog received a new look. It now includes short blog excerpts in the list of the most recent posts of all categories and of Omnibus posts.

Best wishes from the heart!
Ulrico

June 27, 2023July 11, 2023

Tonality of the month: PhrygReach

PhrygReach or Neapolitan minor — calm sound sample, extensive (a.k.a. “Peaceful heart” — slowly but surely) — 8-string guitar, tingsha cymbal pair, tanpura — 5:10 — as loop on a separate tab (or via right click, if available)

The tonality of the month for July/August 2023 is PhrygReach or Neapolitan minor — a fully anchored Reach heptatonality and prime Na tonality. The name indicates that the lower tetrachord has a Phrygian tonal character and that a Reach step (augmented second) is in the upper tetrachord. Two axes are at symmetrical angles. Its harmonically least anchored pitch, the major seventh, contributes much to this tonality’s flavoring. It is essential in framing the fundamental or octave between two successive half steps. Plus it forms the Reach step and the second axis. But most of all, the major seventh adds a distinct major flavored contrast to the underlying, otherwise very pronounced Phrygian or minor structure.

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: PhrygReach or Neapolitan minor — summary visualization of pitches, intervals, and harmonic axes

June 9, 2023June 12, 2023

June 2023 Tonalibus update

Single release

Playlist & Sounds

New tonality derivative

Harmonics cycle

This June 2023 Tonalibus update highlights the current release of “Once upon a time” as new single and announces the conclusion of playlist “Tonalibus J”. Further, it refers to MixoBal or HexaNaMix, a derivative tonality of unique harmonic balance, that triggered a fascinating discovery, a new view of the harmonics cycle with its inherent geometry, angles, symmetries, and axes.

Release of “Once upon a time” as single — for T

“Once upon a time” — again and still on the way (below) is available globally as of 6/11 on music platforms like Spotify, Deezer, Boomplay, YouTube Music, Apple Music, KKBox, Amazon, Tidal, NetEase, QQ Music, and many more.

Phrygian — 6-string guitar, 7-string guitar, small gong — 5:09

June 2023 Tonalibus playlist & sounds update

Playlist J “Welcome to relative freedom” is now complete with 13 pieces spanning 88 minutes, including “Back in open time and space” — at long last (below), which is one of two May recordings also available under May-June 2023 sounds.

MixoBal / HexaNaMix (derivative) — lap slide guitar and tanpura — 6:28

MixoBal or HexaNaMix, a new derivative tonality

A few details on MixoBal or HexaNaMix, a Mixolydian derivative, are in the posting tonality of the month of June 2023. While listed as derivative in the overview chart of tonalities by lower and upper Tetrachord and as Na tonality, as derivative it is not detailed in the Tonalibus catalogue of tonalities. But it led to the following depiction of the harmonics cycle.

Harmonics cycle — fusion of regularity and irregularity

harmonics cycle 2023-06-01 – 01

May 30, 2023June 3, 2023

Tonality of the month: MixoBal or HexaNaMix

MixoBal or HexaNaMix, a hexatonality Mixolydian derivative — calm sound sample, extensive (a.k.a. “Back in open time and space” — at long last) — lap slide guitar and tanpura — 6:28 — loop via right-click, if available

The tonality of the month of June 2023 is MixoBal or HexaNaMix, a hexatonality derivative of Mixolydian, HexaNaTriMix, or PentaNaMix. The prefix “Mixo” not only points to Mixolydian, it also underlines the mixture of progressive and regressive harmonic expansion. Strikingly, this appears in complete balance, building on the series of natural harmonics or overtones. This derivative tonality spreads equally in both directions out from the fundamental over a fully cohesive segment of the harmonics series. As such, MixoBal or HexaNaMix is also a prime Na(tural harmonics) tonality.

As defined in the Tonalibus glossary, derivative tonalities do not show up in detail in the Tonalibus catalogue of anchored tonalities. A common form of derivative tonalities is a slight mutation of one or more catalogued tonalities. MixoBal or HexaNaMix is equivalent to Mixolydian without second, HexaNaTriMix with the quart instead of the tritone, or PentaNaMix with the quart (fourth).

Tonality of the month: MixoBal or HexaNaMix — references

harmonics cycle 2023-06-01 – 01

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.

May 6, 2023May 8, 2023

May 2023 Tonalibus update

April concert recordings

Upcoming single release

Playlist update

This May 2023 Tonalibus update presents some live recordings from the April Tonalibus concert “Drawing circles, waves and spirals”. Further, this update announces the release of a new single “Once upon a time” in June. And it highlights playlist “Tonalibus J”, which has grown at so far unprecedented speed to over ten pieces already.

Live recordings from the April Tonalibus concert near Bern

Below you find four live recordings from the Tonalibus concert entitled “Drawing circles, waves and spirals” on April 23. The Meikirch cultural commission had sponsored and publicized it. This led to a pretty full hall of participants that included also a number of friends and family traveling some distance to attend.

1) “Ophiuchus alive” — living serpent bearer — ReachMix — fretted vichitra veena, tanpura, large gong — 5:18 recorded live

2) “Living drops of glacial melt water” — Mixolydian — fujara and a touch of medium gong — 3:09 recorded live

3) “Living echoes in relative silence” — IonAeolian / ClusterBal (melodic minor / Aelian dominant) — 8-string guitar, singing saw, voice, large gong — 10:33 recorded live

4) “Living sound travel far out” — Core tonal [C#-D-E-F/[F#]-G-G#]-[A#-C-C#] — nepali cymbals, sound bowls, crotales, gongs — 6:48 recorded live

Release of “Once upon a time” as single in June — for T

On June 11, “Once upon a time” — again and still on the way (below) will be globally released on many music platforms. This recent studio recording uses an old theme newly revived for the above mentioned Tonalibus concert.