User:Unque/TERNAMS

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TERNAMS (pronounced /tɛrneɪmz/, TER-names) is a system meant to provide tuning-agnostic names for MV3 ternary scales. The name "TERNAMS" is a portmanteau of "ternary" and "names," specifically chosen by comparison to TAMNAMS.

TERNAMS aims to fix the problem wherein ternary scales and their modes cannot be concisely described with numbers in the same manner that MOS scales can. While a MV2 MOS scale can be described in terms of large and small steps, many MV3 ternary scales have separate chiral and achiral patterns with the same number of steps. Additionally, while a mode of a MV2 MOS scale can be described by how many generators are stacked up/down from the root, many MV3 ternary scales cannot be made with generators at all.

For the purposes of TERNAMS, the left-hand and right-hand variants of chiral scales will be considered equivalent scales; when disambiguation is needed, Levo- can be prefixed for the left-hand orientation, and Dextro- for the right-hand.

This page will document any and all MV3 ternary scales, and the modes thereof, that have been named in the TERNAMS system thus far.

Five-Note Scales

Dactylic (Achiral 1L2M2s)

The name "Dactylic" was given by Unque, from the Greek Dactylus, meaning "finger"; the five modes are thus named for the Greek terms for the five fingers. Dactylic can be collapsed to form Antipentic (L = M), Antimanual (M = s), or Antrial (s = 0).

Dactylic Modes
Mode Name Rotational Order Brightness Step Pattern
Deictian 1 4 MLMss
Mesaian 2 5 LMssM
Dactylidian 3 3 MssML
Micrian 4 1 ssMLM
Anticheirian 5 2 sMLMs

Seven-Note Scales

Nicetone (Chiral 3L2M2s)

The name "Nicetone" is chosen by comparison to Meantone, as it is a variant of the Diatonic scale that distinguishes between two types of whole tones. It can be collapsed to form Diatonic (L = M), Mosh (M = s), and Antipentic (s = 0). The seven modes of this scale can be named after the Greek-language names of the Byzantine Echoi, as to distinguish them from the modes of MV2 diatonic.

Ptolemaic Modes
Mode Name Rotational Order Left-Hand Brightness Right-Hand Brightness Left-Hand Pattern Right-Hand Pattern
Tritus 1 4 6 MLsLMLs LMsLMLs
Deuterus 2 6 3 LsLMLsM MsLMLsL
Protus 3 2 2 sLMLsML sLMLsLM
Barus 4 7 7 LMLsMLs LMLsLMs
Hypodeuterus 5 3 4 MLsMLsL MLsLMsL
Hypoprotus 6 5 5 LsMLsLM LsLMsLM
Tetarus 7 1 1 sMLsLML sLMsLML

Antinicetone (Chiral 2L2M3s)

Antinicetone is the inverse of the Nicetone scale. It can be collapsed to form Smitonic (L = M), Antidiatonic (M = s), or Diwood (s = 0).

Antinicetone Modes
Mode Name Rotational Order Left-Hand Brightness Right-Hand Brightness Left-Hand Pattern Right-Hand Pattern
Antiquintus 1 2 4 sMLsMsL sLMsLsM
Antitertius 2 5 2 MLsMsLs LMsLsMs
Antiprimus 3 6 6 LsMsLsM MsLsMsL
Antigrave 4 1 1 sMsLsML sLsMsLM
Antiquartus 5 4 5 MsLsMLs LsMsLMs
Antisecundus 6 3 3 sLsMLsM sMsLMsL
Antiseptimus 7 7 7 LsMLsMs MsLMsLs

Nine-Note Scales

Dhembric (Chiral 4L1M4s)

The name "Dhembric" was suggested by Leriendil as a reference to Dhembrwood, a temperament which utilizes both the left- and right-hand variations of this scale. The modes of the scale can be inherited from the Dhembrwood[9] mode names. This scale can be collapsed to form Semiquartal (L = M), Gramitonic (M = s), or Manual (s = 0).

Dhembric Modes
Mode Name Rotational Order Left-Hand Brightness Right-Hand Brightness Left-Hand Pattern Right-Hand Pattern
Clumsy 1 9 5 LsLsLsLsM MsLsLsLsL
Snoozy 2 4 1 sLsLsLsML sLsLsLsLM
Cheerful 3 8 6 LsLsLsMLs LsLsLsLMs
Fearful 4 3 2 sLsLsMLsL sLsLsLMsL
Hyper 5 7 7 LsLsMLsLs LsLsLMsLs
Hungry 6 2 3 sLsMLsLsL sLsLMsLsL
Griselda 7 6 8 LsMLsLsLs LsLMsLsLs
Ambidextrous 8 1 4 sMLsLsLsL sLMsLsLsL
Sometimes Bewildered 9 5 9 MLsLsLsLs LMsLsLsLs