Category: Tonalibus

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Tonality of the month: MinReach

The February 2021 tonality of the month is MinReach or harmonic minor — a Reach (or harmonic) heptatonality.

1) MinReach rhythmic sound sample — 0:31 loop — plays until stopped or you go to another page on this tab.
2) MinReach calm sound sample — 1:40 loop — plays until stopped or you go to another page on this tab.
3) MinReach calm sound sample expanded — includes the Guggisberg melody (more info below) — double 8-string guitar, bass, and crotales — January 2021 — 9:24 soundscape

We can recognize MinReach, also kown as harmonic minor, in the melody of the “Guggisberg-Lied” or “s’Vreneli ab em Guggisberg”. This is one of the most haunting and well-known Swiss folklore songs. It stirred up so much emotion that historically it was forbidden by the death penalty in Bernese regiments in the foreign legion. It tended to cause Swiss soldiers to desert and go home.

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, and tune yourself to the fundamental.

DSC01378 cx-comprd - Guggisgerg - Tonality of the month: Minreach
Holding up the sky on the Guggershörnli — Sept. 2014 — photo by Sabina Haas
DSC01368 cx-comprd - Guggershörnli
Stairway into the light — path onto the Guggershörnli, Switzerland — Sept. 2014

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January 2021 Tonalibus Update

Tonalibus, Spiritualibus, and Fidibus news —

Holidays and a new dimension of sound sample recordings —

No matter one’s culture or religion, many see Holidays, holy days, as an opportunity to give and receive. Tonalibus recently received a pair of high-quality (entry-level Neumann) microphones. This opened an all new dimension of recording possibilities and settings. Here are some first fruits of this:

“Louder Call for Peace” — Triple and quadruple fujara — January 2020 — 2:40 — (under Winter 2020/2021 available as loop)
“Remembering Boudhanath” — Double tenor recorder, singing saw, genuine Tibetan tingsha cymbals — January 2021 — 3:42 — (under Winter 2020/2021 available as loop)
“Gateway to Heaven and Hell” — Nepali and Tibetan cymbal pairs, gongs — December 31, 2020 — 6:39 soundscape — needs a sound system capable of low sounds. Available as loop and with further instruments under Winter 2020/2021

New format in the catalogue of anchored tonalities

All anchored tonalities in the Tonalibus catalogue now offer easy navigation options. Images of their harmonic properties and sound samples appear first. The laborious capture of their characteristics in words comes last. A growing number of sound sample loops are on a separate page associated with each tonality. Already last month we announced first such additions for ReachMix, BlueMix, and HexaBlue. Since then, a more extensive, multi-track addition came about for PenatProLa / PentaIon:

“Little Balloon” — PentaProLa / PentaIon — multiple 8-string guitar and bass — January 2021 — 3:29 — (available as loop under PentaProLa / PentaIon sound loops or Winter 2020/2021 — also, see associated Spiritualibus blog post “Little Balloon“

Spiritualibus and Fidibus update

Consistent with our current times, there has been a flurry of new Spiritualibus blog posts. On the other hand, Fidibus shop activities appear at a minimum.

The Tonalibus course currently in progress with one individual triggered a new harmonic insight touched on in the blog post “Generational interplay of harmony” and anchors in the quint cycle.

The Tonalibus approach to creating individual sound mantras was further refined, including steps accessible on password-protected pages. The key to creating an individual sound mantra, finding one’s fundamental pitch and fitting tonalities, is that — as much as possible — one has to do it themselves. Musically, Tonalibus offers to facilitate and built upon an individual’s own findings.

Grächwil Feb. 2020 - January 2021 Tonalibus Update
Best wishes from the heart — at the forest’s edge, mountains greet — Grächwil, Switzerland — February 2020

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It’s a miracle

It’s a miracle how it all adds up. After all, it appears that all the pieces fit together, beyond what we could ever plan or humanly envision. To discover this, however, one needs to let go of everything. That does not mean to get rid of things, not all of them at least. Practicing detachment allows the flow its freedom to be and flow as it does. And, at the same time, making a concentrated effort to go with it, to tune in, puts energy and focus into realizing the flow, the audible life current — with the fundamental attitude: “Thy will be done!”

Then dreams can come true, beyond ego or selfishness, for the good of the whole. Nature has its way — life and love. The back and forth of individuals, coming together and parting again, their exchange and communication perpetuates itself in the flow of nature, of karma, and ultimately in spiritual freedom.

Please, don’t try to tell me who we are. Let’s find out together in being and doing, living and loving, exploring the moment now!

It’s a miracle — the “Gateway to Haven and Hell”

Nepali and Tibetan cymbal pairs, gongs — December 31, 2020 — 6:39 soundscape — needs a sound system capable of low sounds.
Nepali and Tibetan cymbal pairs, gongs, 8-string guitar, vichitra veena, voice — December 31, 2020 — 6:44 soundscape — sound system capable of low sounds recommended
IMG_3085 cxv - consciousness - It's a miracle
Sun setting, going down to come up again another day — Eriz, Switzerland — June 2020
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Generational interplay of harmony

What is the generational interplay of harmony? —

When the quart (or fourth) was the tonic or fundamental, the present tonic was its quint (fifth), its most harmonic ally. Then, when it became the quart, it turned more contrasting and less harmonic. But, after all, it was still fundamental for what it was. It had to let go of its previous prime position. The quint to the present fundamental now took the place of most harmonic.

That is the progression or flow of harmony and how harmonic anchors form through a fundamental with its quint and quart. Progressive and regressive qualities balance in the present looking ahead, as well as back to where one came from. Then, a touch of the quint’s quint (the fifth of the fifth) can be hauntingly stirring.

We can see this as the generational interplay of harmony and tonalities.

To its full extent, we know this in music as the circle of fifths or quint cycle. It takes the form of a regular dodecagram, which is recognized as an expression of sacred geometry by some. Tonalibus presents this in the five-course series Harmonic and Tonality Fundamentals in its fourth module Quad Harmonic Anchors and the Quint Cycle.

Brief silent video loop: the quint cycle as presented by Tonalibus under Concepts Highlights — Started or stopped, you can manually move back and forth through these images at your own pace by sliding the video progress dot horizontally.

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Tonality of the month: BlueMix

The January 2021 tonality of the month is BlueMix, a tritone or blues tonality.

BlueMix rhythmic sound sample loop — plays until stopped or you go to another page on this tab.
BlueMix calm sound sample loop — plays until stopped or you go to another page on this tab.

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.

IMG_3085 cxv - tonality of the month
Sun setting, going down to come up again another day — Eriz, Switzerland — June 2020