D#/A# based pentatonality – TONALIBUS Harmony and Tonalities

General guidance

On this page you can form individual pentatonalities based on your harmonic base, i.e. D#/A#. Consider the following general guidance and then also the points given with specific pitch options. To remember your pitch selections, you may write them down. They are in half step numbers.

To select pitches to form individual tonalities, start by turning on your harmonic base drone loop. Take a moment to tune in and slow down. You may gently mix in individual harmonic base pitches.

Then, with the harmonic base drone running, one at a time and with moments of listening just to the harmonic base drone with individual harmonic base pitches and eventually other already selected ones in between, separately try out offered additional pitches. According to the guidance given for a specific group of offered pitches, determine which one or ones suit you best in the context of your harmonic base and eventually further already established pitch selections.

Interspersing some individual harmonic base pitches and any other already selected ones may help you see and hear more clearly. Take your time. Move slowly, one pitch at at time. Listen. Savor the sound. Trust your perception.

Simple D#/A# based pentatonality pitch selection

Please consider the general instructions given above, as well as the specific points below.

Given harmonic base and its individual pitches 1+8

D#/A# harmonic base drone loop — run continually

1) D# low — 27 sec. — intersperse

8) A# — 19 sec. — intersperse

1) D# high — 19 sec. — intersperse

Simple upper pitch options — select one: pitch 11 or 10

11) — 15 sec.

10) — 23 sec.

Simple lower pitch options — select one two-pitch combo

Select two: pitches 5+3, 5+4, 4+6, 4+7, or 3+6

5) — 20 sec. — may be with 3 or 4

4) — 20 sec. — may be with 6 or 7 or 5

3) — 20 sec. — may be with 5 or 6

6) — 21 sec. — may be with 4 or 3

7) — 19 sec. — may be with 4

Basic pentatonalities resulting from simple pitch selection

a) Harmonic base with 3+5 and 10 — 1-3-5-8-10 — PentaProLa / PentaIon (pentatonic major)
b) Harmonic base with 3+5 and 11 — 1-3-5-8-11 — PentaPro / PentaNa
c) Harmonic base with 3+6 and 10 — 1-3-6-8-10 — PentaMixLa / PentaMixolyd (blues major)
d) Harmonic base with 3+6 and 11 — 1-3-6-8-11 — PentaMix / PentaDor (Egyptian scale)
e) Harmonic base with 4+5 and 10 — 1-4-5-8-10 — PentaBluNaLa
f) Harmonic base with 4+5 and 11 — 1-4-5-8-11 — PentaBluNa
g) Harmonic base with 4+6 and 10 — 1-4-6-8-10 — PentaMinLa / PentaBal
h) Harmonic base with 4+6 and 11 — 1-4-6-8-11 — PentaMin / PentaEol (pentatonic minor)
i) Harmonic base with 4+7 and 10 — 1-4-7-8-10 — PentaCor
j) Harmonic base with 4+7 and 11 — 1-4-7-8-11 — PentaBlue

Extended D#/A# based pentatonality pitch selection

Please consider the general instructions given above, as well as the specific points below.

Given harmonic base and its individual pitches 1+8

D#/A# harmonic base drone loop — run continually

1) D# low — 27 sec. — intersperse

8) A# — 19 sec. — intersperse

1) D# high — 19 sec. — intersperse

Upper pitch options — select one: pitch 11 or 10 — or two: pitches 11+10, 10+12, 9+11, or 9+12

11) — 15 sec. — may be alone or with 10 or 9

10) — 23 sec. — may be alone or with 11 or 12

9) — 20 sec. — may be with 11 or 12

12) — 20 sec. — may be with 10 or 9

Lower pitch options for upper two-pitch selections — select one: pitch 5 or 4

5) — 20 sec. — may be with any upper doubles

4) — 20 sec. — may be with any upper doubles

Lower pitch options for any upper one-pitch selection — select two:
pitches 5+3, 5+4, 4+6, 4+7, 3+6 — or for upper single pitch 11 further also 5+7

5 above) — may be with 3 or 4 or for upper 11 also with 7

4 above) — may be with 6 or 7 or 5

3) — 20 sec. — may be with 5 or 6

6) — 21 sec. — may be with 4 or 3

7) — 19 sec. — may be with 4 or for upper 11 also with 5

Pentatonalities resulting from extended pitch selection

Basic pentatonalities

Extended pentatonalities

k) Harmonic base with 5+7 and 11 — 1-5-7-8-11 — PantaNaTri
l) Harmonic base with 4 and 9+11 — 1-4-8-9-11 — PentaBluMin
m) Harmonic base with 4 and 9+12 — 1-4-8-9-12 — PentaBluReach
n) Harmonic base with 4 and 10+11 — 1-4-8-10-11 — PentaBluMix
o) Harmonic base with 4 and 10+12 — 1-4-8-10-12 — PentaBluMaj
p) Harmonic base with 5 and 9+11 — 1-5-8-9-11 — PentaNaMin
q) Harmonic base with 5 and 9+12 — 1-5-8-9-12 — PentaNaReach
r) Harmonic base with 5 and 10+11 — 1-5-8-10-11 — PentaNaMix
s) Harmonic base with 5 and 10+12 — 1-5-8-10-12 — PentaNaMaj

Explanation and references

Pentatonalities have five pitches per octave. The harmonic base consists of two pitches. Thus, to select an individual pentatonality, you need three further pitches. For basic pentatonalities that is one in the upper and two in the lower part of the octave. And for extended pentatonalities it is one in the lower and two in the upper part of the octave, with one exception, PentaNaTri. Overall, if two pitches for one part, then only one for the other.

Simple pitch selection targets the basic pentatonalities, including regular and clustered ones. Excluded is PentaReg / PentaPhryg (blues minor), because it is a regressive tonality. It turns to PentaMin / PentaEol (pentatonic minor) through the miracle of nature. Extended pitch selection covers the entire set of pentatinalities detailed in the Tonalibus catalogue.