5-limit: Difference between revisions

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The '''5-limit''' consists of all [[just intonation]] intervals whose numerators and denominators are both products of the primes 2, 3, and 5; these are sometimes called [[wikipedia: Regular number|regular numbers]]. Some examples of 5-limit intervals are [[5/4]], [[6/5]], [[10/9]] and [[81/80]]. The [[5-odd-limit]] consists of intervals whose numerators and denominators, when all factors of two have been removed, are less than or equal to 5. Reduced to an octave, these are the ratios 1/1, 6/5, 5/4, [[4/3]], [[3/2]], [[8/5]], [[5/3]], [[2/1]]. Approximating these ratios has been basic to Western common-practice music since the Renaissance.

The octave equivalence classes of 5-limit or ''quinquimal'' intervals can usefully be depicted on a lattice diagram, either as a [[wikipedia: Hexagonal lattice |hexagonal lattice]] or as a [[wikipedia: Square lattice|square lattice]]; this can be done automatically by [[Scala]]. If the intervals are depicted with maximum symmetry as a hexagonal lattice, then the corresponding 5-limit triads define a [[wikipedia:Hexagonal tiling|hexagonal tiling]].

The octave equivalence classes of 5-limit, ''classical'', ''pental'', or ''quinquimal'', intervals can usefully be depicted on a lattice diagram, either as a [[wikipedia: Hexagonal lattice |hexagonal lattice]] or as a [[wikipedia: Square lattice|square lattice]]; this can be done automatically by [[Scala]]. If the intervals are depicted with maximum symmetry as a hexagonal lattice, then the corresponding 5-limit triads define a [[wikipedia:Hexagonal tiling|hexagonal tiling]].

== Edo approximation ==

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== Syntonic comma pairs ==

A significant interval in 5-limit JI is [[81/80]], the syntonic comma or Didymus' comma, which measures about 21.5¢. Although it rarely appears as an interval in a scale, it represents the difference between many 5-limit intervals and a nearby [[3-limit]] (Pythagorean) interval. The syntonic comma is tempered out in [[12edo~~|12EDO~~]], [[meantone]], and many other related systems, meaning that those 5-limit and 3-limit distinctions are obliterated and one interval stands in for each. Living in a largely 12edo musical culture from birth, we are not accustomed to distinguishing two different major thirds, two different minor seconds, and so forth- however, perhaps a handful of people in the Xenharmonic community are at least starting to take the idea of such a distinction more seriously. Below is a list of some common intervals involving 3 and 5 which are distinguished by 81/80. The next column modifies intervals by another 81/80, for a total of 6561/6400 (43 cents). '''Bold''' fractions are simplest for this interval category.

A significant interval in 5-limit JI is [[81/80]], the syntonic comma or Didymus' comma, which measures about 21.5¢. Although it rarely appears as an interval in a scale, it represents the difference between many 5-limit intervals and a nearby [[3-limit]] (Pythagorean) interval. The syntonic comma is tempered out in [[12edo]], [[meantone]], and many other related systems, meaning that those 5-limit and 3-limit distinctions are obliterated and one interval stands in for each. Living in a largely 12edo musical culture from birth, we are not accustomed to distinguishing two different major thirds, two different minor seconds, and so forth- however, perhaps a handful of people in the Xenharmonic community are at least starting to take the idea of such a distinction more seriously. Below is a list of some common intervals involving 3 and 5 which are distinguished by 81/80. The next column modifies intervals by another 81/80, for a total of 6561/6400 (43 cents). '''Bold''' fractions are simplest for this interval category.

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 The '''5-limit''' consists of all [[just intonation]] intervals whose numerators and denominators are both products of the primes 2, 3, and 5; these are sometimes called [[wikipedia: Regular number|regular numbers]]. Some examples of 5-limit intervals are [[5/4]], [[6/5]], [[10/9]] and [[81/80]]. The [[5-odd-limit]] consists of intervals whose numerators and denominators, when all factors of two have been removed, are less than or equal to 5. Reduced to an octave, these are the ratios 1/1, 6/5, 5/4, [[4/3]], [[3/2]], [[8/5]], [[5/3]], [[2/1]]. Approximating these ratios has been basic to Western common-practice music since the Renaissance.
-The octave equivalence classes of 5-limit or ''quinquimal'' intervals can usefully be depicted on a lattice diagram, either as a [[wikipedia: Hexagonal lattice |hexagonal lattice]] or as a [[wikipedia: Square lattice|square lattice]]; this can be done automatically by [[Scala]]. If the intervals are depicted with maximum symmetry as a hexagonal lattice, then the corresponding 5-limit triads define a [[wikipedia:Hexagonal tiling|hexagonal tiling]].
+The octave equivalence classes of 5-limit, ''classical'', ''pental'', or ''quinquimal'', intervals can usefully be depicted on a lattice diagram, either as a [[wikipedia: Hexagonal lattice |hexagonal lattice]] or as a [[wikipedia: Square lattice|square lattice]]; this can be done automatically by [[Scala]]. If the intervals are depicted with maximum symmetry as a hexagonal lattice, then the corresponding 5-limit triads define a [[wikipedia:Hexagonal tiling|hexagonal tiling]].
 == Edo approximation ==
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 == Syntonic comma pairs ==
-A significant interval in 5-limit JI is [[81/80]], the syntonic comma or Didymus' comma, which measures about 21.5¢. Although it rarely appears as an interval in a scale, it represents the difference between many 5-limit intervals and a nearby [[3-limit]] (Pythagorean) interval. The syntonic comma is tempered out in [[12edo|12EDO]], [[meantone]], and many other related systems, meaning that those 5-limit and 3-limit distinctions are obliterated and one interval stands in for each. Living in a largely 12edo musical culture from birth, we are not accustomed to distinguishing two different major thirds, two different minor seconds, and so forth- however, perhaps a handful of people in the Xenharmonic community are at least starting to take the idea of such a distinction more seriously. Below is a list of some common intervals involving 3 and 5 which are distinguished by 81/80. The next column modifies intervals by another 81/80, for a total of 6561/6400 (43 cents). '''Bold''' fractions are simplest for this interval category.
+A significant interval in 5-limit JI is [[81/80]], the syntonic comma or Didymus' comma, which measures about 21.5¢. Although it rarely appears as an interval in a scale, it represents the difference between many 5-limit intervals and a nearby [[3-limit]] (Pythagorean) interval. The syntonic comma is tempered out in [[12edo]], [[meantone]], and many other related systems, meaning that those 5-limit and 3-limit distinctions are obliterated and one interval stands in for each. Living in a largely 12edo musical culture from birth, we are not accustomed to distinguishing two different major thirds, two different minor seconds, and so forth- however, perhaps a handful of people in the Xenharmonic community are at least starting to take the idea of such a distinction more seriously. Below is a list of some common intervals involving 3 and 5 which are distinguished by 81/80. The next column modifies intervals by another 81/80, for a total of 6561/6400 (43 cents). '''Bold''' fractions are simplest for this interval category.
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