I Ching Music
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For almost thirty years I have been using the I Ching inspired scales as a foundation for my compositions. The I Ching is sort of a fortune telling system of the ancient Chinese. But it, being a system based on  8 x 8 = 64,  also has the honor of being a potential key for  our understanding of genetics, which also is a 8 x 8 system, as I understand it. This comparison alone could suggest that there is a great underlying truth to meanings in the I Ching. . .

My use of it is generally more mathematical. For a long time I was using the six lines as half steps or whole steps & writing out the scale unaltered from that. So a six-half-steps scale (I Ching #2) would go from C to F# then back to C. After studying the scales of Northern India, I have decided this is wrong. The I Ching is divided into two sets of three intervals, not one set of six. Just as do the people of Northern India, I now Use the perfect fifth to separate the two sets of three (tetra chords) that each scale has. So I Ching scale #2 would be C, C# D, Eb, G G#, A, Bb. All of the scales are 8 tone scales, just as the top octave of the horns overtone series has 8 tones.

I also have a complete system of fixed tones for each scale that fall more into an attempt to organize  the whole system of 64 scales. Which has a lot to do with opposite patterns in the I Ching. These fixed tone scales really help me when I am starting a composition with the random throwing of an I Ching Hexagram. I usually start with two scales, which have fixed tonics. These two scales alone, in comparison with each other, are all I need to inspire me to write music.

 
I Ching #   Original name

Burdick's name

 Scales version one Scale view two
in C
1 I Ching Hexagram #1 Ch'ien Projective Gb+Ab+Bb+C+D+E C+D+E+F#+G#+A#+C
2 I Ching Hexagram #2 K'un Openness C-C#-D-D#-E-F-F# C-C#-D-D#-E-F-F#
3 I Ching Hexagram #3

Chun -
Difficult beginnings

Needing assistance F#+G#-A-A#-B+C#-D C+D-Eb-Fb-F+G-Ab
4 I Ching Hexagram #4

Meng -
inexperience

 Worship C-C#-D-D#-E-F-F# C-C#-D-D#-E-F-F#
5 I Ching Hexagram #5 Hsu Winner G+A+B+C#-D+E-F C+D+E+F#+G#+A#-B
6 I Ching Hexagram #6 Sung Biography C#-D+E-F+G+A+B C-Db+Eb+F+G+A+B
7 I Ching Hexagram #7 Shih -
The Army		 Team G-Ab+Bb-B-C-C#-D C-Db+Eb-Fb-F-Gb
8 I Ching Hexagram #8

Pi -
Holding together

 Membership C#-D-D#-E-F+G-Ab C-C#-D-Eb-Fb+Gb-Ab
9 I Ching Hexagram #9 Hsaio Stifled Ab+Bb+C+D-Eb+F+G C+D+E+F#-G+A+B
10 I Ching Hexagram #10 Lu Slow going D+E+F#-G+A+B+C# C+D+E-F+G+A+B
11 I Ching Hexagram #11 T'ai Body storm Ab+Bb+C+D+D#-E-F C+D+E+F#-G-Ab-A
12 I Ching Hexagram #12 P'i Brain storm D-D#-E-F+G+A+B C-C#-D-Eb+F+G+A
13 I Ching Hexagram #13 T'ung Jen Scattered A+B-C+D+E+F#+G# C+D-Eb+F+G+A+B
14 I Ching Hexagram #14 TaYn Control Eb+F+G+A+B-C+D C+D+E+F#+G#-A+B
15 I Ching Hexagram #15 Ch'ien - Modesty Tired A-Bb-B+C#-D-D#-E C-C#-D+E-F-Gb-G
16 I Ching Hexagram #16 Yu Directive D#-E-F-Gb+G#-A-Bb C-C#-D-Eb+F-Gb-G
17 I Ching Hexagram #17 Sui Application Bb+C-C#-D+E+F#-G C+D-Eb-Fb+Gb+Ab-A
18 I Ching Hexagram #18 Ku Wrong place E-F+G+A-A#-B+C# C-Db+Eb+F-Gb-G+A
19 I Ching Hexagram #19 Lin Application Bb+C+D-D#-E-F-F# C+D+E-F-Gb-G-Ab
20 I Ching Hexagram #20 Kuan Dreaming E-F-Gb-G-Ab+Bb+C B#-C#-D-Eb-Fb+Gb+Ab
21 I Ching Hexagram #21 Shih Ho In control B+C#-D-Eb+F-Gb+Ab C+D-Eb-Fb+Gb-G+A
22 I Ching Hexagram #22 Pi Grace F+G-Ab+Bb-Cb-Db+Eb C+D-Eb+F-Gb-G+A
23 I Ching Hexagram #23 Po Forgotten dreams B-C-C#-D-Eb-Fb+Gb C-Db-D-Eb-E-F+G
24 I Ching Hexagram #24 Fu -
Returning		 New cycle F+G-Ab-A-Bb-B-C C+D-Eb-E-F-Gb-G
25 I Ching Hexagram #25 Wu Wang Mind power C+D+E+F#-G-Ab+Bb C+D-Eb-E+F#+G#+A#
26 I Ching Hexagram #26 Ta Ch'u Great inspiration F+G+A+B-C-Db+Eb C+D+E+F#-G-Ab+Bb
27 I Ching Hexagram #27 Yi God's mirror C+D-Eb-Fb-F-Gb+Ab C+D-Eb-E-F-Gb+Ab
28 I Ching Hexagram #28 Ta Kuo Cloud burst F#-G+A+B+C#+D#-E C-Db+Eb+F+G+A+B-C
29 I Ching Hexagram #29 K'an Idol C#-D+E-F-Gb+Ab-A C-Db+Eb-E-F+G-Ab
30 I Ching Hexagram #30 Li Rejoyce G+A-Bb+C+D-Eb+F C+D-Eb+F+G-Ab+Bb
31 I Ching Hexagram #31 Hsien Determination C#-D-Eb+F+G+A-Bb C-C#-D+E+F#+G#-A
32 I Ching Hexagram #32 Heng Promiscuity G-Ab+Bb+C+D-Eb-Fb C-Db+Eb+F+G-Ab-A
33 I Ching Hexagram #33 Tun Dropping D-Eb-Fb+Gb+Ab+Bb+C C-C#-D+E+F#+G#+A#
34 I Ching Hexagram #34 Ta Chuang Strength Ab+Bb+C+D+E-F-Gb C+D+E+F#+G#-A-Bb
35 I Ching Hexagram #35 Chin Inspired writing D-Eb-E-F+G-Ab+Bb C-C#-D-Eb+F-Gb+Ab
36 I Ching Hexagram #36 MingYi Fitting in G#+A#-B+C#-D-Eb-Fb C+D-Eb+F-Gb-G-Ab
37 I Ching Hexagram #37 Chia Jen Productivity Eb+F-Gb+Ab-A+B+C# C+D-Eb+F-Gb+Ab+Bb
38 I Ching Hexagram #38 K'uei Teacher A+B+C#-D+E-F+G C+D+E-F+G-Ab+Bb
39 I Ching Hexagram #39 Chien Desire D#-E-F+G-Ab+Bb-Cb C-C#-D+E-F+G-Ab
40 I Ching Hexagram #40 Hsieh Giving birth A-Bb+C-Db+Eb-E-F C-Db+Eb-Fb+Gb-G-Ab
41 I Ching Hexagram #41 Sun Recluse E+F#+G#-A-Bb-B-C C+D+E-F-F#-G-Ab
42 I Ching Hexagram #42 Yi Great Growth Bb+C-Db-D-Eb+F+G C+D-Eb-E-F+G+A
43 I Ching Hexagram #43 Kuai Grown up Fb+Gb+Ab+Bb+C+D-Eb C+D+E+F#+G#+A#-B
44 I Ching Hexagram #44 Kou Sickness A#-B-C+D+E+F#+G# B#-C#-D+E+F#+G#+A#
45 I Ching Hexagram #45 Ts'ui Verbal thoughts F-F#-G-Ab+Bb+C-Db C-C#-D-Eb+F+G-Ab
46 I Ching Hexagram #46 Sheng Gang B-C+D+E-F-F#-G C-Db+Eb+F-F#-G-Ab
47 I Ching Hexagram #47 K'un Great efforts F-Gb+Ab-A+B+C#-D C-C#+D#-E+F#+G#-A
48 I Ching Hexagram #48 Ching Addiction B-C+D+E-F+G-Ab C-Db+Eb+F-Gb+Ab-A
49 I Ching Hexagram #49 Ko Adversity E+F#-G+A+B+C#-D C+D-Eb+F+G+A-Bb
50 I Ching Hexagram #50 Ting Cooking G-Ab+Bb+C+D-Eb+F C-Db+Eb+F+G-Ab+Bb
51 I Ching Hexagram #51 Chen Being born D+E-F-Gb+Ab-A-Bb C+D-Eb-Fb+Gb-G-Ab
52 I Ching Hexagram #52 Ken Beholding A-A#-B+C#-D-Eb+F C-C#-D+E-F-Gb+Ab
53 I Ching Hexagram #53 Chien Divine purpose E-F-Gb+Ab-A+B+C# C-C#-D+E-F+G+A
54 I Ching Hexagram #54 Kuei Mei Commitment B+C#+D#-E+F#-G-Ab C+D+E-F+G-Ab-A
55 I Ching Hexagram #55 Feng Contestant F#+G#-A+B+C#-D-Eb C+D-Eb+F+G-Ab-A
56 I Ching Hexagram #56 Lu Great actions C#-D-Eb+F+G-Ab+Bb C-C#-Eb+F+G-Ab+Bb
57 I Ching Hexagram #57 Sun Dark Source G#-A+B+C#-D+E+F# C-Db+Eb+F-Gb+Ab+Bb
58 I Ching Hexagram #58 Tui Attractive Eb+F+G-Ab+Bb+C-Db C+D+E-F+G+A-Bb
59 I Ching Hexagram #59 Huan Ensemble Bb-Cb+Db-D-Eb+F#+G# C-Db+Eb-Fb-F+G+A
60 I Ching Hexagram #60 Chieh Socialite F+G+A-Bb-Cb+D-Eb C+D+E-F-Gb+Ab-A
61 I Ching Hexagram #61 Chung Fu Simplicity C+D+E-F-Gb+Ab+Bb C+D+E-F-Gb+Ab+Bb
62 I Ching Hexagram #61 Hsaio Kuo Quick strong D#-E-F+G+A-Bb-Cb B#-C#-D+E+F#-G-Ab
63 I Ching Hexagram #63 Chi Chi Accomplishment F#+G#-A+B-C+D-Eb C+D-Eb+F-Gb+Ab-A
64 I Ching Hexagram #64 Wei Chi Preacher A-Bb+C-Db+Eb-Fb+Gb C-Db+Eb-Fb+Gb-G+A