Music of the Trigrams
Fri, February 22, 2008 - 2:02 PM
Years ago, I developed a system to translate each trigram of the I Ching into a musical chord of 4 notes. I used the lines of the trigram to represent the intervals between the notes of the chord. I set a Yang line = major third (2 tone interval) and a Yin line = minor third (1½ tone interval). The resulting chords sounded like the trigram names. For instance, K'un (3 Yin lines) represents Earth -- a solid, tightly packed, substance; the chord equivalent to 3 Yin lines is the diminished 7th -- the tightest intervals of all the chords. There are 3 minor thirds in this one. On the other hand, the Ch'ien (3 Yang lines) or Heaven sound is the augmented chord with the greatest interval spread of all and so it sounds etherial and heavenly.
Here then is my table of equivalences between the trigrams of the I Ching and the 4-note chords in the key of C. To construct each chord, begin on C (or any other tone) then use the lines of the trigram to determine the next 3 notes by the intervals indicated.
Now, when you consult the ancient text to cast a change, you can put a sound track to it. Questions and discussion can be e-mailed to tbailis@hotmail.com.