Aeolian or natural minor — a regular diatonic heptatonality
Harmonic visuals
Scale and sound samples
You may enjoy a sound sample or tonality loop as sound mantra for contemplation or meditation, for upliftment and focusing, or simply as soothing background sound for relaxation and regeneration.
Characteristics
- Diatonic tonality matrix: The octave includes five whole steps and two half steps (or semitones). Either two or three consecutive whole steps, a pair and a trio, alternate in separating the two individual half steps from each other.
- Step pattern: Ascending from the fundamental (tonic or Do), Aeolian begins with a whole step, followed by a half step. Then comes the pair of the whole steps and the second half step, before the remaining two whole steps lead up to the octave, which is embedded in the trio of whole steps.
- Scale intervals: Major second, minor third, quart, quint, minor sixth, and minor seventh.
- Penta- and tetrachords: The lower pentachord is AeolDorian and the upper tetrachord is PhrygAeolian.
- Harmonic axes: There is one axis, which is EN-WS.
- Primary harmonic anchors: The fundamental or North anchor as well as the East anchor are both fully present. The West anchor is incomplete with only its left leg and no head. The contrast or South anchor is completely absent.
- Secondary harmonic anchors: Three secondary anchors are present: SE, SW, and WN. All three of them strengthen the fundamental North anchor — two with focus on the quart and one on the quint. Two of them give some more weight to the East anchor, and one to the partial West anchor.
- The initial whole step or major second: The harmonically least anchored pitch is the initial whole step or major second, which is key to providing the distinctly Aeolian lightly regressive quality and gentle minor flavor.
- Piano keyboard reference: Aeolian (natural minor) corresponds to the white keys with A as fundamental.
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