Reading Time: 28 minutesAugust 29, 2023

ASTRO-MUSIC COMPOSITION (CHART TO MUSIC)

Part 2 of the article “Astro-Music Composition”. If you have not read the previous part, then I suggest you read Part 1 first.

THE COSMIC EXPANSE

The most ideal setup is to use the number 12 for all key aspects of this concept: 12 Tones, 12 Signs and 12 Planets.

I am aware that using 12 Planets is a less common practice among astrologers. Many astrologers do on the other hand look at charts to aspects between planets and the Lilith, lunar nodes, zenith & nadir or stars, asteroids, et cetera. Personally I like using planets and dwarf planets rotating the Sun only, with the Moon as only exception on this concept of course. You will also find info in this article about only using 7 or 10 planets.

It’s up to you how many and which “heavenly bodies” you wish to implement in your personal execution of this concept. 

METHOD 1: ZODIAC SIGN BASED – EQUAL TEMPERAMENT

The most common temperament used in western music is the 12-Tone Equal Temperament (12-TET), a division of the octave in equal sized tone spaces, similar to the Tropical Zodiac that divides the Zodiac circle in 12 equal sized sections of 30 degrees.

The number of planets used for this method does not effect the temperament and thus tone frequencies connected to the Zodiac Signs. Just the number of tones “activated” by a planet’s presence in the signs might be less. After all, 7 planets could generate 7 different tones, with 10 planets you could potentially generate 10 different tones and a 12-Planet based astrology system could potentially generate all 12 tones of the 12-Tone Equal Tempered system.

Using more then 12 planets would not per definition generate more unique tones though when 12-TET is used, that would only be the case if microtuning is used! (see Method 2 below).

The “Zodiac Sign Based” method is tone-frequency-wise not as exact as the “Planet Degree Based” method. This method though can be used with all western instruments and most common music genres and is therefor a concept that pretty much anyone with basic astrological and musical knowledge can implement.

IMPLEMENTATION: METHOD 1 – SIGN BASED

TROPICAL ZODIAC	CIRCLE OF FOURTHS
(planets displayed only)	(major tonalities displayed only)

7 CLASSIC + 3 TRADITIONAL + 2 ADDITIONAL PLANETS

PLANET

SIGN

TONE

G

F♯ G♭

Bm

G

A

G

A

G♯m A♭m

Fm

D♯m E♭m

A

G

If we create a scale with the root or “tonic” (first degree) of each represented tonality and start with the tone of the sign that contains the Sun, then we get the following “Natal Cosmic Scales“: 

7 CLASSIC PLANETS

TONICS	G		A		B		F♯/G♭		G
HZ	383.5		430.5		483.3		362.0		767
INTERVAL		½		1		1½		½

7 CLASSIC + 3 TRADITIONAL (=10) PLANETS

TON.

G

G♯/A♭

A

B

D♯/E♭

F

F♯/G♭

G

HZ

383.5

406.3

430.5

483.3

304.4

341.7

362.0

767

INT.

½

½

1

1½

1

½

½

7 CLASSIC + 3 TRADITIONAL + 2 ADDITIONAL (=12) PLANETS

TON.

G

G

G♯/A♭

A

A

B

D♯/E♭

F

F♯/G♭

G

HZ

383.5

406.3

430.5

483.3

304.4

341.7

362.0

767

INT.

½

½

1

1½

1

½

½

If the planets would have been “spread out” over more Signs then with Roel’s chart above, then the number of tones of the scale could increase. And consequently, when the planets are more clustered then as in Roel’s chart, then the number of tones of the scale will decrease.

In Roel’s case we end up with a 4-tone (7 planets) or 7-tone (10 and 12 planets) scale.

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METHOD 2: PLANET DEGREE BASED – MICROTONAL

When you are looking for a more precise “Natal Scale” (like an unique “acoustic fingerprint”), then using the exact degrees of the planets would be your method of choice. 

This means though that we are stepping outside the confined 12-TET system and are going to use micro-tuning. In this case we are going use a system where every degree becomes a tone. Instead of 12 tones per octave, we will now divide the octave into 360 pitch-classes (tones), the so called 360 EDO (Equally Divided Octave) system. EDO is an abbreviation for TET. 360 EDO/TET divides the octave into steps of 3 1/3 (3,333∞) cents. 

! IMPORTANT:

You have to use micro-tonal instruments to work with the “Planet Degree Based” concept. Many (“traditional” Western) instruments will not be able to use this musical interval system / temperament. To implement it with modern software and hardware requires a deeper understanding and experience in working with and composing for micro-tonal instruments. Read the article Instruments & Tuning for more information about the tunability of instruments.

With this method we need to temper (pitch) the 12-TET tone frequencies with the planet degrees. First we decide what Concert Pitch to use. A4=440Hz is the present musical standard, but since we’re micro-tuning and standard 440Hz 12-TET based instruments can no longer be used, we can chose any Concert Pitch we like. For this example I will use C4=256Hz, the “Scientific or Philosophycal Pitch“. The tone frequencies listed below are rounded up at one digit behind the dot for convenience.

TONE	C	C♯ D♭	D	D♯ E♭	E	F	F♯ E♭	G	G♯ A♭	A	A♯ B♭	B
HZ 12-TET	256	271.2	287.4	304.4	322.5	341.7	362.0	383.5	406.3	430.5	456.1	483.3

As mentioned above, 360 EDO divides the octave into steps of 3 1/3 (3.333∞) cents. 1 degree = + 3.333∞ cents. To round the cents off till 3 digits behind the dot is sufficient, the difference between 1 digit and 3 digits behind the dot is but approx. 0.01Hz, a difference that even the best musicians, composers and sound engineers will not notice. Calculation example: The Sun is in Taurus at 19°, Taurus represents G=383.5Hz, thus:

19 x 3.333 = 63.327 cents.
383.5Hz + 63.3 cents = 397.78160939995274Hz

IMPLEMENTATION: METHOD 2 – DEGREE BASED (MICROTONAL)

TROPICAL ZODIAC	CIRCLE OF FOURTHS
(planets displayed only)	(major tonalities displayed only)

7 CLASSIC + 3 TRADITIONAL + 2 ADDITIONAL PLANETS

PLANET
SIGN
DEG.	19°	3°	3°	10°	26°	10°	27°	4°	13°	20°	0°	1°
TONIC	G	F♯ G♭	B	G	A	G	A	G♯ A♭	F	D♯ E♭	A	G
12-TET	383.5	362.0	483.3	383.5	430.5	383.5	430.5	406.3	341.7	304.4	430.5	383.5
+CENT	63.3	9.9	9.9	33.3	86.7	33.3	89.9	13.3	43.3	66.6	0	3.3
NEW HZ	397.8	364.1	486.1	390.9	452.6	390.9	453.4	409.4	350.4	316.3	430.5	384.2

The following microtonal “Cosmic Scales” are formed:

7 CLASSIC PLANETS

TONE	G	G	A	A	B	F♯ G♭
HZ	390.9	397.8	452.6	453.4	486.1	724

You might have noticed that the scale above only contains 6 Tones. This is because 2 planets (Venus and Jupiter) were in the same sign at the same degree, thus generate the same tone. In musical scales it is though not logical to display the exact same tone twice, thus 6 tones instead of 7. Many listeners might not even hear the difference of 0.8Hz between A=452.6Hz and A=453.4Hz unless played simultaneously and even then some people might not be able to differentiate between those two tones. So, in this case we might even end up using a 5-tone scale, using only one of the A’s.

7 CLASSIC + 3 TRADITIONAL PLANETS

TONE	G	G♯ A♭	A	A	B	D♯ E♭	F	F♯ G♭	G	G
HZ	397.8	409.4	452.6	453.4	486.1	632.6	700.8	724	781.8	795.6

Many listeners might not even hear the difference of 0.8Hz between A=452.6Hz and A=453.4Hz unless played simultaneously and even then some people might not be able to differentiate between those two tones. Another thing you might have seen is that the frequencies for D♯/E♭, F and F♯/G♭ have are doubled in frequency. This was done to make sure all tones fall in between the tonic of this scale G=397.8Hz and it’s octave G=795.6.4Hz.

7 CLASSIC + 3 TRADITIONAL + 2 ADDITIONAL (=12) PLANETS

TONE	G	G♯ A♭	A	A	A	B	D♯ E♭	F	F♯ G♭	G	G	G
HZ	397.8	409.4	430.5	452.6	453.4	486.1	632.6	700.8	724	768.4	781.8	795.6

You might have noticed that the scale above only contains 11 Tones. This is because 2 planets (Venus and Jupiter) were in the same sign at the same degree, thus generate the same tone. In musical scales it is though not logical to display the exact same tone twice, thus 11 tones instead of 12. Many listeners might not even hear the difference of 0.8Hz between A=452.6Hz and A=453.4Hz unless played simultaneously and even then some people might not be able to differentiate between those two tones. Another thing you might have seen is that the frequencies for D♯/E♭, F and F♯/G♭ have are doubled in frequency. This was done to make sure all tones fall in between the tonic of this scale G=397.8Hz and it’s octave G=795.6Hz.

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CHORDS (12-TET & MICROTONAL)

Every planetary position represents a tone as well as a chord. As mentioned earlier in this article the prograde (direct) planets represent Major tonalities and chords, the retrograde planets represent minor tonalities and chords. Below an example based on Roel’s Chart:

PLANET
SIGN
ROOT	397.8	364.1	486.1	390.9	452.6	390.9	453.4	409.4	350.4	316.3	430.5	384.2
KEY	G	F♯ G♭	Bm	G	A	G	A	G♯m A♭m	Fm	D♯m E♭m	A	G

The chords as listed above do contain tones though that do not “belong” to Roel’s “Natal Cosmic Scale” that were made through the interpretation of the natal chart.

Take for example the chord of G Major that belongs to Taurus, it contains the following tones: G – B – D. The tones G and B are both “native” to Roel’s “Natal Cosmic Scale” but the tone D is not.

“NATIVE” TONES

If you wish to “build” chords strictly from “native” tones of Roel’s “Natal Cosmic Scale“, then you could combine the root (“tonic”) tones used in the 12-TET or Microtonal “Natal Cosmic Scale”, as found through the position of the planets in the Zodiac sign sections.

EXAMPLE CHORDS “BUILD” WITH “NATIVE” TONES ONLY:

The root tones of the sign section can be 12-TET or micro-tonal, depending on the method you work with. 

CHORD	ROOT TONES OF	SIGN SECTIONS	“ACTIVATED” BY PLANETS
GAug	G+B+E♭	+  +
G7♯5	G+B+D♯ + F	+  +  +
G9♯5	G+B+D♯ + F+A	+  +  +  +
G♯m	G♯ + B + D♯	+  +
G♯m6	G♯ + B + D♯+F	+  +  +
G♯m(M7)	G♯ + B + D♯+G	+  +  +
G♯m13	G♯ + B + D♯ + G♭ + F	+  +  +  +
A♭m	A♭+B +  E♭	+  +
A♭m6	A♭ + B +  E♭ + F	+  +  +
A♭m7	A♭ + B +  E♭ + G♭	+  +  +
A♭m(M7)	A♭ + B + E♭ + G	+  +  +
A♭m13	A♭ + B +  E♭ + G♭+F	+  +  +  +
BAug	B+E♭ + G	+  +
B	B + D♯ + F♯	+  +
B6	B + D♯ + G♭ + A♭	+  +  +
B7♭5	B + D♯ + F + A	+  +  +
B7	B + D♯ + G♭ + A	+  +  +
B7♯5	B + D♯ + G + A	+  +  +
B7/13	B+E♭ + G♭ + A+A♭	+  +  +  +
E♭Aug	E♭+G+B	+  +
F7♭5	F+A+B+E♭	+  +  +
F9♭5	F+A+B+E♭ + G	+  +  +  +

Explanation of the chord names (for the non-musicians/composer among the readers).

When looking at the table above, you might have noticed that all formed chords contain one or more tones related to planet positions in Gemini and Libra.

• F♯ / G♭ – tone of Libra – presented by a (prograde) Moon.
• D♯m / E♭m – (parallel minor) tone of Libra – presented by a (retrograde) Pluto.
• Bm – (parallel minor) tone of Gemini – presented by a (retrograde) Mercury.

I looks like the “vibratory nature” of these tones play a major role in the audible “fingerprint” of this natal horoscope.

NATAL CHORD

When you sound these tones B – D♯ – F♯ together you hear the B Major chord. B Major is the Major tonality of Virgo, that “happens to be” the ascendant sign in Roel’s birth chart.

NATAL TONE(S)

In this natal chart 2 tones are equally often present in the chords: the tones B and D♯ (E♭). They are present in all 22 chords that can be created with Roel’s “Natal Solar Scale”. 

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This is an original concept by Roel Hollander and falls under the following license: