Arrow

In N-edo, "arrow" means 1\N, and is thus a synonym for edostep (but see the exceptions and extensions below). Thus in 22edo, 5/4 is one arrow lower than 9/7, and two arrows lower than 4/3.

"Arrow" refers to the up-arrows and down-arrows (^ and v) used in ups and downs notation to raise or lower by one edostep. Sometimes the name of a notation symbol comes to mean that which the symbol indicates. Just as "bar" (the vertical line that separates measures) has come to mean "measure", "arrow" has gained a new meaning.

When applied to sharp-1 edos like 19edo, "arrow" is somewhat counter-intuitive, because 19edo doesn't use ups and downs. Nevertheless, by analogy with other edos, in a 19edo context "arrow" means 1\19.

In some very large edos (e.g. 205edo#Notation), an up or down may indicate multiple edosteps, and one edostep may be indicated by a lift or a drop (written / or \). In such edos, "arrow" refers to multiple edosteps and "slant" refers to a single edostep. Arrows and slants are collectively called inflections. Sharps and flats are still called accidentals, and accidentals and inflections are collectively called alterations.

alterations
accidentals		inflections
		arrows		slants
sharp	flat	up	down	lift	drop
#	b	^	v	/	\

In pergen notations, the terms arrows, slants, inflections and alterations are used similarly. Thus one arrow in Triyo equals a tempered 81/80.

These uses of the terms arrow, slant, inflection and alteration were coined by Kite Giedraitis.