Nanopublication — Pitch-to-Brightness Register Encoding

Context

The chromesthetic translation system operates on two axes: pitch class determines hue (following the circle of fifths), while register determines value (lightness/darkness). This dual encoding allows a single color family to represent the same pitch class across multiple octaves while preserving register information.

In this composition, the deep crimson and maroon shapes represent C in lower registers, while brighter red-orange rectangles represent C in higher registers. Similarly, the saturated orange ground and paler cream-yellow areas differentiate register positions within the A and E color families. This brightness gradient creates visual depth that corresponds to the vertical span of the keyboard.

The principle "the lower the pitch, the darker in its color band; the higher, the brighter" ensures that voicing choices—how I spread chord tones across registers at the piano—translate directly into value contrasts in the painting.