The September 2021 tonality of the month is TetraNa, a Na tonality and tetratonality.
1) TetraNa — short sound sample, rhythmic — August 2021 — 1:44 loop 2) TetraNa — short sound sample, calm — August 2021 — 1:51 loop 3) TetraNa with a touch of Mixolydian — double 8-string guitar, gong, singing saw — August 2021 — 10:31
The tonality of this month of September is TetraNa, a Na(tural harmonics) tonality and exceptional tetratonality. Because it is the only tetratonality currently in the Tonalibus catalogue, it is listed along with pentatonalities. It is the first, most fundamentally pure Na tonality because it contains only the first four natural overtones. Na tonalities are uniquely harmonious and ideally span over multiple octaves, preferably three or four. They follow the sequence of natural harmonics or overtones and eventually form an arch with secondary harmonics turning into tertiary ones (or reciprocals) and thus lead to more commonly known tonalities. TetraNa is the entry point to this progression. Na(tural harmonics) tonalities will soon appear in the Tonalibus catalogue.
You may enjoy a sound sample loop, such as the one of the tonality of the month, as sound mantra for contemplation or meditation, for upliftment, focusing, or simply for relaxation and regeneration as soothing background sound. Further, you could hum or chant along, for example using HU or another mantra syllable, and tune yourself to the fundamental.
Tonalibus office and balcony before sunrise — August 2021 — Grächwil, Switzerland
This August 2021 Tonalibus update first touches briefly on the new album Tonalibus A, B, & C. Then it presents a new personal and two new cooperation sound samples. Further it highlights the current expansion of the tonalities catalogue. This is a work in progress and linked to ongoing research and experimentation with harmonics or overtones, including reciprocals, inverse and nested relations.
Tonalibus A, B, & C — the album released
The album Tonalibus A, B, & C with its thirty-one personal sound samples by Ulrico is available globally on many music platforms, e.g., Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, and more. You can find links to the main platforms and a detailed listing of the tracks in the Fidibus Shop entry for the album Tonalibus A, B, & C. May you enjoy these sounds — heart to heart, soul to soul!
New personal and cooperation sound samples
“Natural harmonics gateway” — first step in a Na tonality
Harmonics or overtones and resonance are fundamental to harmony. Therefore, Na tonalities are uniquely harmonious. Ideally, they span over multiple octaves, at least three or four. They follow the sequence of natural harmonics or overtones and form an arch with secondary harmonics turning into tertiary ones (or reciprocals). Thus they lead to more commonly known tonalities. Na(tural harmonics) tonalities and other additions will soon appear in the Tonalibus catalogue.
Finding these tonalities was like mining ore. New tonalities kept leading to others like in a main strand of ore. Plus there were also side strands leading to further tonalities outside the Na group qualifying to be added to the catalogue. Eventually though they all led to already existing tonalities, which strengthens the validity of the catalogue as it is.
In total, so far this brought forth close to twenty additional tonalities qualifying for the Tonalibus catalogue, including a few existing tonality name adjustments. Thus, PentaPro or PentaNa, the tonality of the current month of August, received its second name, PentaNa. And the group of clustered or melodic tonalities expands to include also two super-clustered tonalities with a step pattern of five consecutive whole steps and two consecutive half steps.
The following two visuals present the group of Na tonalities and their main modulation path that fully follows the natural harmonics series.
Tonalibus 1e-3 tonalities – 2023-11 – 82
Tonalibus 1e-3 tonalities – 2023-11 – 81
Tonalibus 1e-3 tonalities – 2023-11 – 83x
Tonalibus 1e-3 tonalities – 2021-08 – 75y
The numbers in the above visuals represent the halftone positions of a tonality’s pitches within their vertically, top-down depicted octave.
Reciprocal harmonics — fascinating relationships
Current Tonalibus research focuses among other things on reciprocal harmonics. These are mirror image or inverse harmonic relationships.
The most significant example of this is the quart (perfect fourth). It carries its fundamental octave as primary harmonic, its quint (perfect fifth). However, the quart itself is but the second last pitch of the occidental twelve-tone system to appear approximately in the harmonic or overtone series as the twenty-first harmonic or overtone and one of the four most deviating ones. Nevertheless, besides the quint, the quart is one of the two primary anchors of a tonality, as the tonality’s fundamental is its reciprocal quint.Tonalibus calls the quart the regressive tonality anchor, because it shows where a tonality comes from. The quart in a way creates the fundamental. But then it has to contend with being one of the least harmonious pitches in the resulting tonality’s harmonic series. This can be called the generational interplay of harmony, the theme of a previous blog post.
The above may lead one to look for and recognize corresponding relationships of harmony in life in other contexts beyond music. But this goes beyond the current scope of Tonalibus and you may contemplate this as you see fit.
Similarly fascinating harmonic relationships can be observed between the major sixth and major third, between the minor third and minor seventh, as well as between other pitches. Relationships of this kind go beyond mere concepts. They are based on physically measurable observations that can be reproduced. More about this may come out in future Tonalibus posts.
Best wishes to conclude this August 2021 Tonalibus update
„Schläft ein Lied in allen Dingen, [Sleeps a song in things abounding,] Die da träumen fort und fort, [that keep dreaming to be heard,] Und die Welt hebt an zu singen, [Earth’s tunes will start resounding,] Triffst du nur das Zauberwort. [if you but find the magic word.]“
— Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, Wünschelrute, 1835
Forests, fields, a horizon of mountains, and the silhouette of a lonely birch — Grächwil/Meikirch, Switzerland
The tonality of this month of August is PentaPro / PentaNa, a Pro, Na, and extra pentatonality. It is a Pro(gressive) tonality because it omits the regressive quart. It is a pure Na tonality because it contains only primary and secondary natural overtones. Harmonics or overtones are fundamental to harmony. Thus Na tonalities are uniquely harmonious and span over multiple octaves, preferably three or four. They follow the sequence of natural harmonics or overtones and form an arch with secondary harmonics turning into tertiary ones (or reciprocals) and thus lead to more commonly known tonalities. Na(tural harmonics) tonalities will soon appear in the Tonalibus catalogue.
You may enjoy a sound sample loop, such as the one of the tonality of the month, as sound mantra for contemplation or meditation, for upliftment, focusing, or simply for relaxation and regeneration as soothing background sound. Further, you could hum or chant along, for example using HU or another mantra syllable, and tune yourself to the fundamental.
Can you see it? The world might be at least partially round after all… — Grächwil/Meikirch, Switzerland
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.
New personal sound samples from June and July 2021
ReachUp (double harmonic/Gypsy minor) — Voice by Christina Braun — 8-string guitar by Ulrico — 3:48
The new personal sound samples can also be found in the still growing collectionSummer 2021, the new cooperation sound sample under Cooperation 2020-2021.
Tonalibus A, B, & C — a pending album release
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 albumTonalibus A, B, & C!
July 2021 Tonalibus update closing note
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!”
Full rainbow arching a moment of completion, of unity and freedom — June 2021 — Grächwil, Switzerland
