Kite's color notation/Temperament names: Difference between revisions

[[Color notation]] can name every regular temperament. The name is the same as that of the comma(s) tempered out, but using an alternate format designed for commas. This format omits the degree (unison, 2nd, etc.). For example, [[Semaphore]] tempers out the zozo 2nd and is called the Zozo temperament, written Zozoti or zzT, where "ti" and "T" mean temperament. The name of the comma or the temperament is always capitalized, to distinguish it from the color. Thus zozo refers to all zozo ratios, whereas Zozo refers to one specific zozo ratio, 49/48.   

The color defines a lattice row, and the magnitude (large, small, etc.) defines a '''segment''' of that row. A name without a magnitude, like Zozo, refers to the central segment. Each segment contains 7 ratios. The comma that is tempered out is usually the smallest in cents of those 7. If not, '''-bi''' or '''-tri''' is added to the end of the name to indicate that the comma is the 2nd or 3rd largest ratio in that segment, e.g. the [[Mavila]] comma is Layobi or Ly#2. The Mavila temperament is Layobiti or Ly#2T. Any comma smaller than 256/243 = 90¢ is guaranteed to be the smallest ratio in its segment, thus -bi and -tri are only used for very large commas.   

La means both large and 11-all, and sa means both small and 17-all. To avoid confusion, large and small should never be abbreviated unless part of a longer word. La is also the La note in solfege, and Sa is the tonic in saregam. The meaning will always be clear from context. Notes are never large or small, only intervals are.

Any other wa comma is named using the Wa-N format. Thus [[Countercomp family|Countercomp]] is Wa-41 + ya, not the difficult-to-decipher Tribisawati + ya. Note that multi-ring edos such as 10-edo can't be implied by a wa comma, and Wa-10 is not a valid comma name. However 10-edo can be created by a non-wa comma, or by a wa comma plus a non-wa comma, e.g. Sawa & Yoyoti.   

Every ratio can be named either as a standard interval or as a comma/temperament, e.g. 128/125 is both the trigu 2nd and the Trigu comma. The latter is awkward for low-odd-limit ratios: 5/4 would be the Yobi "comma" and 6/5 would be the Gutri "comma". But the former is awkward for high odd-limit ratios, because there will be many 2nds and 3rds and even 4ths, and many of them will be negative. So the latter name is used for commas, for brevity. Unfortunately, this makes identifying the comma from the name a little more work.  

! colspan="3" | Do this to the 3-exponent