The 13-limit or 13-prime-limit consists of just intonation intervals such that the highest prime number in all ratios is 13. Thus, 40/39 would be allowable, since 40 is 2 × 2 × 2 × 5 and 39 is 3 × 13, but 34/33 would not be allowable, since 34 is 2 × 17, and 17 is a prime number higher than 13. An interval doesn't need to contain a 13 to be considered within the 13-limit. For instance, 3/2 is considered part of the 13-limit, since the primes 2 and 3 are smaller than 13. Also, an interval with a 13 in it is not necessarily within the 13-limit. 23/13 is not within the 13-limit, since 23 is a prime number higher than 13.

The 13-prime-limit can be modeled in a 5-dimensional lattice, with the primes 3, 5, 7, 11, and 13 represented by each dimension. The prime 2 does not appear in the typical 13-limit lattice because octave equivalence is presumed. If octave equivalence is not presumed, a sixth dimension is needed.

A list of edos which represent 13-limit intervals better: 26, 27e, 29, 31, 41, 46, 53, 58, 72, 87, 103, 111, 121, 130, 183, 190, 198, 224, 270, 494 and so on. Another list of edos which tunes the 13-limit well relative to their size (relative error < 5.5%): 31, 41, 46, 53, 58, 72, 87, 94, 103, 111, 121, 130, 140, 152f, 159, 183, 190, 198, 212, 217, 224, 270, 282, 296, 301, 311, 320, 328, 342f, 354, 364, 369f, 373, 383, 400, 414, 422, 431, 441, 460, 472, 494 and so on.

Intervals

Here are all the 15-odd-limit intervals of 13:

Ratio Cents Value Color name Interval name
14/13 128.298 3uz2 thuzo 2nd tridecimal supraminor second
13/12 138.573 3o2 tho 2nd tridecimal subneutral second
15/13 247.741 3uy2 thuyo 2nd tridecimal semifourth
13/11 289.210 3o1u3 tholu 3rd tridecimal minor third
16/13 359.472 3u3 thu 3rd tridecimal supraneutral third
13/10 454.214 3og4 thogu 4th tridecimal naiadic
18/13 563.382 3u4 thu 4th tridecimal sub-tritone
13/9 636.618 3o5 tho 5th tridecimal super-tritone
20/13 745.786 3uy5 thuyo 5th tridecimal cocytic
13/8 840.528 3o6 tho 6th tridecimal subneutral sixth
22/13 910.790 3u1o6 thulo 6th tridecimal major sixth
26/15 952.259 3og7 thogu 7th tridecimal semitwelfth
24/13 1061.427 3u7 thu 7th tridecimal supraneutral seventh
13/7 1071.702 3or7 thoru 7th tridecimal submajor seventh

Music

Dave Hill

See also