User:BudjarnLambeth/Quasipelog theory

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Quasipelog theory is a theoretical framework for approaching 16edo (16-tone equal temperament), or any other edo that supports 2.3.5.11 mavila (e.g. 23edo, 30edo, 37edo, 39edo).

It is heavily inspired by Javanese, Balinese and Sundanese gamelan music theory; by the Armodue school of music theory; and by Erv Wilson's discovery and descriptions of MOS scales.

Quasipelog theory was developed by Budjarn Lambeth beginning in December 2025, due to 16edo leading in the XA Monthly Tunings poll for January.

Instruments and timbre

In quasipelog theory, instruments/synths with harmonic timbres are to be avoided.

Instead, any combination of the following may be used:

• Any gamelan instruments
• Inharmonic metallophones
• Inharmonic bells
• Inharmonic synth timbres (eg from an additive synth) with a 'metallic' or 'bell-like' sound
• Human voices with a 'thin', 'reedy' tone
• Woodwinds with a 'thin', 'reedy' tone
• Synth timbres built upon a sine wave
• Woodwinds that have a timbre very close to a sine wave
• Overblown woodwinds

See also: Instruments.

Scales

The four most essential scales in quasipelog music theory are quasipelog minor, quasipelog major, quasipelog heptatonic, and quasipelog chromatic.

Most quasipelog music should be written using one or more of those four scales.

Besides those, there are three types of additional scales which may be used sometimes in quasipelog music:

• Flavoured QP minor scales
• Flavoured QP major scales
• Altered QPH scales

Quasipelog minor

Quasipelog minor is defined as mode ssLsL of the mavila[5] MOS scale.

Quasipelog major

Quasipelog major is defined as mode LssLs of the mavila[5] MOS scale.

Quasipelog heptatonic

Quasipelog heptatonic is defined as mode ssLssLs of the mavila[7] MOS scale.

Quasipelog chromatic

Quasipelog chromatic is defined the mavila[16] MOS scale made from stacking 7 fifths up and 8 fifths down (or, 8 fourths up and 7 fourths down).

One step of the quasipelog chromatic scale is called a QPC step.

Flavoured QP minor scales

A flavoured QP minor scale is a pentatonic (5-tone) scale constructed by starting with the quasipelog minor scale and then moving individual degrees of the scale up or down by QPC steps.

For example, if you started with the quasipelog minor scale, then flattened the neutral second by 1 QP hexstep, and sharpened the minor sixth by 2 QP hexsteps, you would get the scale "quasipelog minor -2++6".

Flavoured QP major scales

A flavoured QP major scale is a pentatonic (5-tone) scale constructed by starting with the quasipelog major scale and then moving individual degrees of the scale up or down by QPC steps.

Altered QPH scales

An altered QPH scale is a scale constructed by starting with the quasipelog heptatonic scale and then moving individual degrees of it up or down by QPC steps, and/or duplicating or removing some of its degrees.

The standard quasipelog heptatonic scale could be written as "altered QPH 1,2,3,4,5,6,7".

If you removed its second and fourth degrees, duplicated its sixth degree, and flattened one of the duplicated sixths by two QPC steps, the result would be "altered QPH 1,3,5,6-2,6,7".

Quasipelog scales in edos

Four main scales

16edo

Quasipelog minor
2\16
4\16
9\16
11\16
16\16

Quasipelog major
5\16
7\16
9\16
14\16
16\16

Quasipelog heptatonic
2\16
4\16
7\16
9\16
11\16
14\16
16\16

Quasipelog hexadecatonic
1\16
2\16
3\16
4\16
5\16
6\16
7\16
8\16
9\16
10\16
11\16
12\16
13\16
14\16
15\16
16\16

23edo

Quasipelog minor
3\23
6\23
13\23
16\23
23\23

Quasipelog major
7\23
10\23
13\23
20\23
23\23

Quasipelog heptatonic
3\23
6\23
10\23
13\23
16\23
20\23
23\23

Quasipelog hexadecatonic 
1\23
3\23
4\23
6\23
7\23
9\23
10\23
11\23
13\23
14\23
16\23
17\23
19\23
20\23
22\23
23\23

30edo

Quasipelog minor
4\30
8\30
17\30
21\30
30\30

Quasipelog major
9\30
13\30
17\30
26\30
30\30

Quasipelog heptatonic
4\30
8\30
13\30
17\30
21\30
26\30
30\30

Quasipelog hexadecatonic 
1\30
4\30
5\30
8\30
9\30
12\30
13\30
14\30
17\30
18\30
21\30
22\30
25\30
26\30
29\30
30\30

37edo

Quasipelog minor
5\37
10\37
21\37
26\37
37\37

Quasipelog major
11\37
16\37
21\37
32\37
37\37

Quasipelog heptatonic
5\37
10\37
16\37
21\37
26\37
32\37
37\37

Quasipelog hexadecatonic 
1\37
5\37
6\37
10\37
11\37
15\37
16\37
17\37
21\37
22\37
26\37
27\37
31\37
32\37
36\37
37\37

39edo

Quasipelog minor
5\39
10\39
22\39
27\39
39\39

Quasipelog major
12\39
17\39
22\39
34\39
39\39

Quasipelog heptatonic
5\39
10\39
17\39
22\39
27\39
34\39
39\39

Quasipelog hexadecatonic 
2\39
5\39
7\39
10\39
12\39
15\39
17\39
19\39
22\39
24\39
27\39
29\39
32\39
34\39
37\39
39\39

B Lambeth's recommended QP minor scales

Quasipelog minor -2+3++6
1\16
5\16
8\16
13\16
16\16

1\23
7\23
11\23
19\23
23\23

1\30
9\30
14\30
25\30
30\30

Quasipelog minor-2-5
1\16
4\16
8\16
11\16
16\16

1\23
6\23
11\23
16\23
23\23

1\30
8\30
14\30
21\30
30\30

Quasipelog minor+2
3\16
4\16
9\16
11\16
16\16

4\23
6\23
13\23
16\23
23\23

5\30
8\30
17\30
21\30
30\30

Quasipelog minor-3
2\16
3\16
9\16
11\16
16\16

3\23
4\23
13\23
16\23
23\23

4\30
5\30
17\30
21\30
30\30

Quasipelog minor+3+6
2\16
5\16
9\16
12\16
16\16

3\23
7\23
13\23
17\23
23\23

4\30
9\30
17\30
22\30
30\30

Quasipelog minor+3
2\16
5\16
9\16
11\16
16\16

3\23
7\23
13\23
16\23
23\23

4\30
9\30
17\30
21\30
30\30

Quasipelog minor+5
2\16
4\16
10\16
11\16
16\16

3\23
6\23
14\23
16\23
23\23

4\30
8\30
18\30
21\30
30\30

Quasipelog minor-6
2\16
4\16
9\16
10\16
16\16

3\23
6\23
13\23
14\23
23\23

4\30
8\30
17\30
18\30
30\30

Quasipelog minor-plus-all (quasipelog minor+2+3+5+6)
3\16
5\16
10\16
12\16
16\16

4\23
7\23
14\23
17\23
23\23

5\30
9\30
18\30
22\30
30\30

B Lambeth's recommended QP major scales

Quasipelog major+3+5+7
6\16
7\16
10\16
15\16
16\16

9\23
10\23
14\23
22\23
23\23

12\30
13\30
18\30
29\30
30\30

Quasipelog major-4
5\16
6\16
9\16
14\16
16\16

7\23
9\23
13\23
20\23
23\23

9\30
12\30
17\30
26\30
30\30

Quasipelog major+4+7
6\16
7\16
9\16
15\16
16\16

9\23
10\23
13\23
22\23
23\23

12\30
13\30
17\30
29\30
30\30

Quasipelog major+4
5\16
7\16
9\16
14\16
16\16

7\23
10\23
13\23
20\23
23\23

9\30
13\30
17\30
26\30
30\30

Quasipelog major-minus-all (quasipelog major-3-4-5-7)
4\16
6\16
8\16
13\16
16\16

6\23
9\23
11\23
19\23
23\23

8\30
12\30
14\30
25\30
30\30

Quasipelog major-plus-all (quasipelog major+3+4+5+7)
6\16
8\16
10\16
15\16
16\16

6\23
9\23
11\23
19\23
23\23

8\30
12\30
14\30
25\30
30\30

B Lambeth's recommended altered QPH scales

Altered QPH 1,3,4,5,7
4\16
7\16
9\16
14\16
16\16

6\23
10\23
13\23
20\23
23\23

8\30
13\30
17\30
26\30
30\30

Altered QPH 1,2,4,6,7
2\16
7\16
11\16
14\16
16\16

3\23
10\23
16\23
20\23
23\23

4\30
13\30
21\30
26\30
30\30

Altered QPH 1,2,4,5,7
2\16
7\16
9\16
14\16
16\16

3\23
10\23
13\23
20\23
23\23

4\30
13\30
17\30
26\30
30\30

Scales recommended by others

Wiki users: feel free to add some here. Leave your username too if you'd like so we know who recommended which scale.

Music

• Waking with a fever before sunrise - Budjarn Lambeth (2026)