Musical Systems =============== PyTheory supports four musical systems, each with its own tone names and scale patterns. Western ------- The standard 12-tone equal temperament system with major/minor scales and all seven modes. .. code-block:: python from pytheory import TonedScale c = TonedScale(tonic="C4") c["major"].note_names # ['C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'G', 'A', 'B', 'C'] c["dorian"].note_names # ['C', 'D', 'D#', 'F', 'G', 'A', 'A#', 'C'] **Scales:** major, minor, harmonic minor, ionian, dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian, locrian, chromatic Indian Classical (Hindustani) ----------------------------- The Hindustani system uses **swaras** (Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni) and organizes scales into `thaats `_ — the 10 parent scales from which `ragas `_ are derived. .. code-block:: python from pytheory import TonedScale sa = TonedScale(tonic="Sa4", system="indian") sa["bilawal"].note_names # = major scale # ['Sa', 'Re', 'Ga', 'Ma', 'Pa', 'Dha', 'Ni', 'Sa'] sa["bhairav"].note_names # unique to Indian music # ['Sa', 'komal Re', 'Ga', 'Ma', 'Pa', 'komal Dha', 'Ni', 'Sa'] sa["todi"].note_names # ['Sa', 'komal Re', 'komal Ga', 'tivra Ma', 'Pa', 'komal Dha', 'Ni', 'Sa'] **Thaats:** bilawal, khamaj, kafi, asavari, bhairavi, kalyan, bhairav, poorvi, marwa, todi **Swara notation:** - Uppercase = shuddha (natural): Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni - ``komal`` prefix = flat: komal Re, komal Ga, komal Dha, komal Ni - ``tivra`` prefix = sharp: tivra Ma Arabic Maqam ------------ The Arabic system uses **solfège-based names** (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si) and organizes scales into **maqamat** (plural of `maqam `_). .. note:: True maqam music uses quarter-tones that cannot be represented in 12-tone equal temperament. These scales are the closest 12-TET approximations. .. code-block:: python from pytheory import TonedScale do = TonedScale(tonic="Do4", system="arabic") do["ajam"].note_names # = major scale # ['Do', 'Re', 'Mi', 'Fa', 'Sol', 'La', 'Si', 'Do'] do["hijaz"].note_names # characteristic augmented 2nd # ['Do', 'Reb', 'Mi', 'Fa', 'Sol', 'Solb', 'Sib', 'Do'] do["nikriz"].note_names # ['Do', 'Re', 'Mib', 'Fa#', 'Sol', 'La', 'Sib', 'Do'] **Maqamat:** ajam, nahawand, kurd, hijaz, nikriz, bayati, rast, saba, sikah, jiharkah Japanese -------- The Japanese system uses Western note names with traditional pentatonic and heptatonic scales from Japanese music. .. code-block:: python from pytheory import TonedScale c = TonedScale(tonic="C4", system="japanese") c["hirajoshi"].note_names # most iconic Japanese scale # ['C', 'D', 'D#', 'G', 'G#', 'C'] c["in"].note_names # Miyako-bushi, used in koto music # ['C', 'C#', 'F', 'G', 'G#', 'C'] c["yo"].note_names # folk music scale # ['C', 'D', 'F', 'G', 'A#', 'C'] c["ritsu"].note_names # gagaku court music (= Dorian) # ['C', 'D', 'D#', 'F', 'G', 'A', 'A#', 'C'] **Pentatonic scales:** hirajoshi, in, yo, iwato, kumoi, insen **Heptatonic scales:** ritsu, ryo Blues and Pentatonic -------------------- The blues system provides the scales foundational to blues, rock, jazz, and folk music worldwide. `Pentatonic scales `_ (5 notes) are the oldest known musical scales, found independently in cultures across every continent. The `blues scale `_ adds the "`blue note `_" (flat 5th / sharp 4th) to the minor pentatonic — this chromatic passing tone is the defining sound of the blues. .. code-block:: python from pytheory import TonedScale c = TonedScale(tonic="C4", system="blues") c["major pentatonic"].note_names # the "happy" pentatonic # ['C', 'D', 'E', 'G', 'A', 'C'] c["minor pentatonic"].note_names # the "sad" pentatonic # ['C', 'D#', 'F', 'G', 'A#', 'C'] c["blues"].note_names # minor pentatonic + blue note # ['C', 'D#', 'F', 'F#', 'G', 'A#', 'C'] c["major blues"].note_names # major pentatonic + blue note # ['C', 'D', 'D#', 'E', 'G', 'A', 'C'] **Pentatonic:** major pentatonic, minor pentatonic **Hexatonic:** blues, major blues **Heptatonic:** dominant (Mixolydian — the dominant 7th sound), minor (Dorian — the jazz minor sound) Javanese Gamelan ---------------- The `gamelan `_ system approximates the scales of the Javanese and Balinese gamelan orchestra in 12-tone equal temperament. True gamelan tuning is unique to each ensemble and does not conform to Western intonation — these are the closest 12-TET approximations. `Slendro `_ is a roughly equal 5-tone division of the octave, producing an ethereal, floating quality. `Pelog `_ is a 7-tone scale with unequal intervals, typically performed using 5-note subsets called *pathet*. .. code-block:: python from pytheory import TonedScale ji = TonedScale(tonic="ji4", system="gamelan") ji["slendro"].note_names # the 5-tone equidistant scale # ['ji', 'ro', 'pat', 'mo', 'pi', 'ji'] ji["pelog"].note_names # full 7-tone pelog # ['ji', 'ro-', 'lu', 'pat', 'mo', 'nem-', 'barang', 'ji'] ji["pelog nem"].note_names # pathet nem subset # ['ji', 'ro-', 'lu', 'pat', 'mo', 'ji'] **Pentatonic:** slendro, pelog nem, pelog barang, pelog lima **Heptatonic:** pelog (full 7-tone) .. note:: Gamelan tone names follow Javanese numbering: ji (1), ro (2), lu (3), pat (4), mo (5), nem (6), pi/barang (7). Suffixes indicate microtonal variants approximated to the nearest semitone. Cross-System Comparison ----------------------- Since all systems use 12-tone equal temperament, equivalent scales produce the same pitches: .. code-block:: python from pytheory import TonedScale, Tone # These are all the same scale with different names western = TonedScale(tonic="C4")["major"] indian = TonedScale(tonic="Sa4", system="indian")["bilawal"] arabic = TonedScale(tonic="Do4", system="arabic")["ajam"] # Same pitches c4 = Tone.from_string("C4", system="western") sa4 = Tone.from_string("Sa4", system="indian") do4 = Tone.from_string("Do4", system="arabic") c4.frequency # 261.63 sa4.frequency # 261.63 do4.frequency # 261.63