Dorian — 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), Dorian begins with a whole step, followed by a half step. Then comes the trio of whole steps and the second half step, before the remaining whole step leads up to the the octave, which is embedded in the pair of whole steps.
- Scale intervals: Major second, minor third, quart, quint, major sixth, and minor seventh.
- Penta- and tetrachords: The lower pentachord is AeolDorian and upper tetrachord is DorMixolydian.
- Harmonic axes: There is one axis, which is horizontal, E-W.
- Primary harmonic anchors: The fundamental or North anchor is fully present. The East and West anchor are both incomplete, both with their head, the East one with only the right and the West with only the left leg. The contrast or South anchor is completely absent.
- Secondary harmonic anchors: Four secondary anchors are present: EN, SE, SW, and WN. All four of them strengthen the fundamental North anchor — two with focus on the quart and two on the quint. Two of them give equally some more weight to the partial East and partial West anchor.
- Overall symmetry: A striking balance results between regressive and progressive, major and minor flavors, which is also reflected in the horizontal axis and symmetry of the intervals and pitches.
- Piano keyboard reference: Dorian corresponds to the white keys with D as fundamental.
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