Tonality diamond
The q-odd-limit tonality diamond is the diamond function applied to the odd numbers from 1 to q: diamond ({1, 3, 5, … , q}). Another way of defining it is in terms of naive height - the most common number theoretic height function on rational numbers: [math]H\left(\frac{n}{d}\right) = max(|n|, |d|)[/math] - as all rational numbers which are the quotient of two positive odd integers n/d with H(n/d) ≤ q, octave-reduced.
Construction
A generalized tonality diamond can be constructed given an equave E and n harmonics P1, P2, ... Pn, sorted in increasing size after being equave-reduced so as to lie between 1 and E. (In the q-odd-limit construction, the harmonics are simply the octave-reduced odd harmonics up to q.) The tonality diamond then consists of the harmonics P1, P2, ... Pn, their octave complements E/P1, E/P2, ... E/Pn alongside fractions of the harmonics amongst each other: Pi/Pj for every i > j, and EPi/Pj for every i < j (in addition to the unison). If the harmonics are all linearly independent (as in the 5-odd or 7-odd limits), there are n(n+1) distinct consonances; however, if some fraction of two harmonics reduces to a different harmonic [e.g. (3/2)/(9/8) = 4/3] or is equivalent to another fraction [e.g. (15/8)/(9/8) = 5/3 = 2*(5/4)/(3/2)], this number reduces.
Relationship to subgroups
While, given any subgroup of just intonation, a tonality diamond can be constructed from the equave and the higher primes in the subgroup, the correspondence is not one-to-one: an infinite number of possible tonality diamonds are constructible from a subgroup; for instance, the 2.3.7 subgroup would possess distinct diamonds for harmonics 3 and 7 to equave 2, and for 3 and 21 to 2, or even for 3, 7, and 9 to 2 (to say nothing of 2 and 7/4 to 3). However, any tonality diamond with rational consonances to a rational equave defines a subgroup.
Examples of scales
Music
- Modern Jazz at the Crystal Ball by Norbert Oldani in the 7-limit diamond.