Finishing up the "Volume 2" scale pages
🕑 Added 2025-12-14 15:35:49 +0000 UTCI've fussed over these long enough and went through many iterations of layout... in the end it was impossible to fit everything on one page, in a way that was equitably pleasing for scale 1 and scale 4095 and everything in between. I tried cramming things in with a smaller font size, but it became unreadable, unacceptable. So finally I have accepted that the scale pages will be double-sided, with a recto and verso, preserving a minimum font size of 10pt.
On the recto side you'll see the scale's notation, bracelet, and a QR code leading to the corresponding scale page at ianring.com. Alternate names for the scale are listed (without details of their musical tradition), and in two columns we fit the Analysis and Modes.
On the verso side, that's where I dump the extra diagrams. Interval Matrix, Tonnetz, Hierarchizability. On the right, the Tertian Harmonic Chords, but only if the scale is heptatonic and has suitably spaced tones to construct those.
And there is a big blank space on the right, where... well I'm not sure I'll have the spoons for it but there is space to say something about the scale. Maybe I'll take some time to explain some of the name origins, or mention prominent musical examples. But I'll say now: it's unlikely that such detail will be provided in the first edition. I need to "pinch it off" as they say, and get this book finished and published. Or else it will drag on for another seven years!
In these screen shots there are some abnormalities, like the copyright year at the bottom, the page number... ignore that. Those will be adjusted later once the structure of the book is more complete.
Thank you for your patience! I have not updated in a while because, well, "life got busy" especially with my day job and family life. I have some holidays coming and look forward to spending some of it in my pyjamas with a hot buttered rum, polishing up Volume 2 and then finishing up some of the last chapters of Volume 1.
I haven't decided whether I should offer these for free as individual PDFs on the website. It feels like a good idea, but it also devalues the book, right? There isn't anything on the printed pages that isn't already present on the website.
That's a choice for another day. If you have an opinion, share it :)
Cheers!
Comments
Benny Rietveld
Awesome work, thank you for the effort! I guess it would depend on how the book is indexed, but it might be nice to also offer the separate PDFs, since sometimes that format makes for quicker reference for some kinds of workflows. You could charge some nominal fee, Iʻd certainly pay.
Stuart Wheatman
That's looking great! In the space on page 2, for a future edition it might be nice to have a table with R 3 5 7 9 11 13 for each chord deriving from that particular scale. The Tertiary harmonic chords are great but it would be useful to have a chart showing the full extensions for each of the chords which derive from that scale (e.g. the Phrygian mode would have a b9 etc).
