Category: Tonality of the month/moment

The tonality of the month of June 2022 is Phrygian. Overall it is likely the least familiar of the regular diatonic heptatonalities, though well used in Islamic and Hindu music. The octave of regular diatonic tonalities follows a balanced pattern or matrix. Either two or three consecutive whole steps, a pair and a trio, alternate in separating the two individual half steps of these tonalities from each other. Phrygian corresponds to the white keys on the piano with E as fundamental. Its most distinguishing feature is the presence of both, the minor second and the minor sixth.

The above Phrygian sound sample first dwells for a moment in a reduced form of Phrygian, that is PentaMin / PentaEol or pentatonic minor. More (purely) Phrygian sound samples are available in the Tonalibus catalogue of tonalities under Phrygian. Below is an expanded elaboration of the the above Phrygian sound sample, the piece “Phrygian HU” — a meditative blues:

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.

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.

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.

The April 2022 tonality of the month is ReachMin / Phrygian dominant, a Reach / harmonic tonality.

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.

The March 2022 tonality of the month is LydReach / NaReach, a Na and Reach tonality.

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.

The February 2022 tonality of the month is BlueMin, a tritone or blues tonality.

The tonality of the month of February 2022 is BlueMin, a tritone or blues tonality. As the name indicates, the octave of a tritone or blues tonality includes the tritone. Further it includes one or more Reach steps (augmented seconds), generally off the fundamental or quint. And there may be consecutive half steps. As such, BlueMin, a fully anchored tonality, is exceptional in that it contains three consecutive half steps or four consecutive halftones. However these may not (or only very rarely) be all consecutive.

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.