We started with the neutral mood, changed the 3rd and 6th, and that gave us the single light and single heavy moods.
Then we changed the 7th and 2nd, and that gave us the double light and double heavy moods.
Now, there are still two tensions left, the 4th and the 5th. By making the 4th lighter, we create a triple light mood, and by making the 5th heavier, we create a triple heavy mood.
So, starting from the double light mood that you already know,
[double light tonescape]
I have the [sing: anchor, light 2nd, light 3rd, and 4th]. And when I lighten the 4th, it sounds like this: [triple light tonescape, sing: anchor, light 2nd, light 3rd, light 4th]. Switch between [4th, light 4th].
And this gives us the sound of the triple light mood.
[stop tonescape]
And starting from the double heavy mood that you already know,
[double heavy tonescape]
I have the [sing: anchor, heavy 2nd, heavy 3rd, 4th, and 5th]. And making the 5th heavier sounds like this: [triple light tonescape, sing: anchor, heavy 2nd, heavy 3rd, 4th, heavy 5th]. Switch between [5th, heavy 5th].
And this gives us the sound of the triple heavy mood.
[stop tonescape]
So now we’ve made a change to every tension in our original neutral mood, and with each change, we created a new mood. This also means we have two versions of each tension—the one in the neutral mood, and another that’s become either lighter or heavier.
But the 4th and 5th are a little different from the other tensions.
[triple light tonescape]
Because the light 4th in the triple light mood [sing: anchor, 2nd, 3rd, light 4th]
and the heavy 5th in the triple heavy mood [triple heavy tonescape, sing: anchor, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, heavy 5th] are actually the same note. [Switch between: light 4th, heavy 5th].
[stop tonescape]
And yet, they feel like completely different tensions when they’re surrounded by all the other tensions of the triple light or triple heavy moods.
This means that now, when we put all the tensions together with the neutral mood, that is, when they’re no longer in the context of their original moods, we have no way to tell a light 4th apart from a heavy 5th. Both are the same distance from the anchor. So we can call this shared sound a “light 4th or heavy 5th,” and start to recognize its distinct feeling of tension, independently from its feeling of position in either mood.
Now, since we made our 4th lighter, you might think that the original 4th was a heavy 4th. And since we made our 5th heavier, you’d think the original 5th was a light 5th. But this is another way that the 4th and 5th are a little different from the other tensions.
Instead, the original 4th and 5th are just the 4th and 5th. Or perhaps you can think of them as a neutral 4th and 5th, as tensions that don’t really contribute to the lightness or heaviness of a mood, but, like the anchor, are more a part of a mood’s underlying structure.
In fact, it’s these three relationships—the anchor, 4th, and 5th—that were the original building blocks for a musical system made up of seven different tensions.
So our two new moods that change the 4th and 5th have a slightly different quality from the other moods. They feel maybe a little more ethereal, or unsettled—like there’s a little less structure to grab on to. You might have an experience where it’s a little more challenging to stay oriented to the anchor at first.
So spend some time with these new moods. Get to know their overall feeling, and the feelings of the tensions that make them up, especially the light 4th and heavy 5th. And when you’re comfortable recognizing and naming the tensions in each new mood, and all together with the neutral mood, that’s when you’re ready to come back for more.
Triple Light Mood (Light 3rd, 7th, 4th)
Triple Heavy Mood (Heavy 6th, 2nd, 5th)
All Tensions with the Neutral Mood