Category: Tonality of the month/moment

The tonality of the month of April 2023 is IonAeolian or ClusterBal, a clustered or melodic heptatonality. The name IonAeolian indicates that the lower tetrachord is MixolydIonian and the upper PhrygAeolian. Its second name, ClusterBal, points to the overall balance in this fully anchored clustered tonality. Further names in use for it beyond Tonalibus are melodic major, Aeolian dominant, and minor over major (Min/Ma). A striking quality of this tonality is its overall balance and inherent symmetry. This is evident in the placement of its pitches, its intervals, and its two angeled axes. Its East and West halves mirror each other exactly. This results in a remarkable balance between regressive and progressive, major and minor flavors.

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 tonality of the month of March 2023 is ReachMix, a fully anchored Reach or harmonic tonality. Its name indicates that there is a regular Reach step or augmented second framed by half tone steps in the lower tetrachord. And the upper one is DorMixolydian, as in Dorian and Mixolydian. Basically, this tonaliy is Mixolydian with a minor instead of a major second, which gives it a slight Phrygian touch that can contrast beautifully with its otherwise predominant Mixolydian character.

Tuning for this ReachMix sample, the tonality of the month

Instead of standard A 440 Hz tuning, Tonalibus is usually tuning relative to A 438.2 Hz or C# 138 Hz. This is based on personal calculations and deductions made by Ulrico in his youth. However, the above ReachMix sound sample is relative to A 432 Hz or C# 136.1 Hz. Some associate the latter with the Earth or the heart chakra. Others call it the Om frequency. There are claims that this frequency was used throughout the ages, without evidence. Apparently musicologist Alexander John Ellis measured and documented ancient pipe organs and tuning forks. He found only one reference to 432 Hz (Verdi). Before standardization, the pitch A fluctuated heavily between 400 and 460 Hz.

Sound as mantra — a worthwhile notion

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 tonality of the month of February 2023 is LocorNa / LocorMin. It is the first Locor / Cor Reach heptatonality to show up completely in the Tonalibus catalogue of anchored tonalities. Its companions LocorReach, CorMix, and CorMaj / LoloReachLyd are still in the process of receiving more documentation and are present so far only with their visual references. These tonalities are unique in that they are minor and major at once. Plus they contain the tritone. This can pose some challenge to apply them harmoniously to Western ears. But as the sound sample above shows, it appears possible. You be the judge as to what extent…

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 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.

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