October/November 2021 Tonalibus update

This October/November 2021 Tonalibus update presents select sound samples of tonalities recently added to the Tonalibus catalogue. It touches on the massive, now concluding expansion of the tonalities catalogue of the past months. The total number of distinct, fully and partially anchored tonalities present now rose to eighty. Finally, a quote on mast fruiting ends this Tonalibus update.

Select new sound samples

October/November 2021 Tonalibus update 1

The following recordings are all from November 2021. There was a two months break, because of travel and the failure of a technical component in the Tonalibus studio.

“Reawakening” — a new personal sound sample

HexaNaTriMin — personalized sound sample, calm — 8-string guitar, gong, singing saw — 3:52

A few sound samples of newly added tonalities

BlueMin — sound sample, calm — 8-string guitar — 2:56
LoloReachMix — sound sample, rhythmic — 8-string guitar — 3:20
LoReachUpMaj — sound sample, calm — 8-string guitar — 2:10
HexaBluNa or HexaLolo — sound sample, rhythmic — 8-string guitar — 2:23

Tonalities catalogue expansion

October/November 2021 Tonalibus update 2

This year brought about many refinements and additions to the Tonalibus catalogue. By now, the total number of distinct tonalities in the catalogue has doubled from initially around forty to eighty. At first, it was just a trickle of new additions. Then, in recent months they grew to quite an avalanche. One trigger was finding that some pitches can be more harmonious when approached from one side than from the other. Another trigger was a deeper study and application of the harmonics or overtone series.

This year’s catalogue refinements included additional tonality classifications and naming improvements. As such, the secondary groupings of Pro(gressive) and Reg(ressive), Cor(e), and Na(tural harmonics) tonalities came about. Further, new subgroups now help keep the number of tonalities in a group and the corresponding website menu structure more manageable — i.e. for Reach, hexa-, and pentatonalities. The latter two benefited from individual name improvements, while all tonalities came to have the initial letter of each component in their name capitalized.

New additions to the catalogue were mentioned in previous Tonalibus updates, e.g. seventeen of them in the September update. Since then, another ten tonalities appeared in the catalogue: BlueMin, LoloReachMin, LoloReach, LoloReachMix, LoReachUpMaj, HexaBluNa or HexaLolo, HexaNaTriMin, HexaNaTriMix, PentaBluNa, and PentaNaTri. The main triggers for their appearance are mentioned above. But there was one further, particular impetus to reevaluate and then accept LoReachUpMaj. This was the only tonality still missing to complete the mapping of a specific heptatonality in the catalogue to each of the I Ching hexagrams, an ongoing Tonalibus project.

A quote on mast fruiting

From The Council of Pecans — Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

“If one tree fruits, they all fruit — there are no soloists. Not one tree in a grove, but the whole grove; not one grove in the forest, but every grove; all across the country and all across the state. The trees act not as individuals, but somehow as a collective. Exactly how they do this, we don’t yet know. But what we see is the power of unity. What happens to one happens to us all. We can starve together or feast together. All flourishing is mutual.” — p. 15

“Through unity, survival. All flourishing is mutual. … all are the beneficiaries of reciprocity.” — p. 20

“There is something like a mycorrhizal network that unites us, an unseen connection of history and family and responsibility to both our ancestors and our children… standing together for the benefit of all.” — p. 21

October/November 2021 Tonalibus update 3
Stay tuned for more Tonalibus developments — and fare well! — Autumn hydrangea, photo by Karin Gsöllpointner

In the embrace of love

In the embrace of love
A quiet space of silence
Not so much doing now
But mainly being here
All inclusive we can live
One experience at a time
From early dawn to dusk
Everything is in between
One day was the very first
That’s what we usually note
Each day brings some news
Firsts in its unique own way
And another day will come
Or not — if it was the last
This we might note later
More likely than before
We have gone beyond
Leave all ways behind
Where we once were
Then letting it all go
To be without doing
In spiritual freedom
While doing all good
Earning the hard way
Still the easiest possible
Is quite difficult enough
As much as any one can
Thus letting it all just be
In the embrace of love.

One more tonality to come: LoReachUpMaj

Closely related to LoReachUpMaj: HexaCorMaj — rhythmic sound sample — 8-sting guitar — March 2021 — 1:59

From Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

The Skywoman story, shared by the original peoples throughout the Great Lakes, is a constant star in the constellation of teachings we call the Original Instructions. These are not ‘instructions’ like commandments, though, or rules; rather, they are like a compass: they provide an orientation but not a map. The work of living is creating that map for yourself. How to follow the Original Instructions will be different for each of us and different for every era.” — p. 7

“In Native ways of knowing, human people are often referred to as ‘the younger brothers of Creation.’ We say that humans have the least experience with how to live and thus most to learn — we must look to our teachers among the other species for guidance. Their wisdom is apparent in the way they live. They teach us by example. They’ve been on earth far longer than we have been, and have had time to figure things out. … We need to learn to listen.” — pp. 9 and 10

In the embrace of love and sound

In the Embrace of Love
A very young player on the 8-string guitar — October 2021 — Chanhassen, MN

Tonality of the month: LoloReachMaj

The November 2021 tonality of the month is LoloReachMaj, a Reach heptatonality.

1) LoloReachMaj — rhythmic sound sample — 3:15 loop — plays until stopped or you go to another page on this tab.
2) LoloReachMaj — calm sound sample — 8-string guitar — August 2021 — 3:26 loop

The tonality of the month of November 2021 is LoloReachMaj, a fully anchored Reach (or harmonic) heptatonality. Also known as Ionian #2 of the Neapolitan scales, it actually is Ionian with the raised major second. Belonging to the subgroup of Lolo Reach tonalities, it is their first present in the Tonalibus catalogue. Further in this subgroup are LoloReachMin, LoloReach, and LoloReachMix. These very recently qualified as coming additions to the catalogue, along with the closely related tonalities HexaBluNa and PentaBluNa.

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 Ōṁ / Aum ॐ, HU, or another mantra syllable that suits you, and tune yourself to the fundamental.

Tonality of the month: LoloReachMaj
Color explosion of a hydrangea in late fall — October 2021 – Grächwil, Switzerland — photo by Karin Gsöllpointner

No cutting corners

No cutting corners is not easy
But most fulfilling every way
As it takes the extra effort
To finally be done for good
Not to confuse with perfect
Rather the best possible here
In decent balance and harmony
With the flow of life and in love
Active as can be in manifesting
One’s own individual realities
Formed cooperating together
With each other, and with all
The essence of consciousness
Expressed in present moments
The divine so practical and real
Some have tried to give it a name
Tathāgata, Mahanta consciousness
Thus trying to scoop entire oceans
With their little cups and spoons
Calling their sip the one and only
Then displays blinding arrogance
While others remain loving silent
Giving each their space to drink
From their cups of revelations
Accepting the miracle of now
No cutting corners draws lines
Between what is real and not
To relish and love each other
An embrace of spirit’s grace
Accepted in humble gratitude
For the gifts of golden hearts.

“Prayer in Gratitude for the Golden Heart”

Ionian — 8-string guitar — February 2021 — 4:44 — also as loop on a separate tab
No cutting corners
Backyard view form a meditation gazebo on a high point — October 2021 — Chanhassen, Minnesota

So much stuff

So much stuff
That lasts or not
Comes and goes
From merchandise
To heaps of trash
Better think twice
And do consider
Ramifications
What it can do
In the long run
There’s a future
Of all the things
To flow and serve
Sustain a purpose
Or just fade away
From the new to old
More or less durable
Benefits that last
Or just wash away
With limited aims
A moment or two
Hopeful for more
Look and weigh
What may come
Recycle or reuse
Maybe for burning
In harmony and love.

So much stuff — “Call to Peace”

Triple fujara and tenor recorder — September 2020 — 3:03 — available also as loop on a new tab

You may enjoy a sound sample loop, as sound mantra for contemplation or meditation, for upliftment, focusing, or simply for relaxation and regeneration as soothing background sound.

So much stuff
Big water droplets gathered on the moon roof of a car — October 2021 — Waconia, Minnesota