Diasem: Difference between revisions

'''Diasem''' is a [[Maximum variety|max-variety-3]] scale with step pattern 5L 2M 2s, equivalent to the [[semiquartal]] ([[5L 4s]]) mos with two of the small steps made larger and the other two made smaller. Diasem has two [[chirality|rotationally non-equivalent variants]], ''right-handed diasem'' LMLSLMLSL and ''left-handed diasem'' LSLMLSLML; these are mirror images. It can be tuned as a [[Just intonation subgroup|2.3.7 subgroup]] JI scale or a tempered version thereof. The fact that the small step of diatonic is made smaller results in [[26edo]] and [[31edo]] diasem having better melodic properties than the respective diatonic scales. The scale can be generated by an alternating chain of subminor thirds and supermajor seconds. The name "diasem" is a portmanteau of "diatonic" and "semiquartal" (or "[[semaphore]]") since its step sizes are intermediate between that of [[diatonic]] (5L 2s) and [[semiquartal]] (5L 4s); it is also a pun based on the [[diesis]], which appears as the small step in the scale in the [[31edo]] and [[36edo]] tunings.