Help creating lights that brighten and dim in a pulsing fashion for breathing base.

TLDR: how do I power a single row of redstone lamps at a time when they are stacked directly on each other. (More info about the exact problem can be found in last paragraph)

I have a concept of using the brightening and dimming of lights in the tinted glass windows show in the first image to make it look like my base is breathing in and out. The gradient in the window is created by a row of redstone lamps at the bottom and the fading of their light as it gets higher behind the tinted glass. I want to figure out a way make the light level at the base of the windows raise and lower in a pulsing fashion to make it look like it breathing. In the second image you can see my current idea of how to do this. Since to my knowledge there is no light source that has an adjustable light level, I plan on lighting the rows of red stone lamps in an up and down pulsing fashion, which will effectively raise and lower the light level at the base of the window, cause the gradient to raise and fall simulating breathing.

I am new ish to redstone and have just recently started experimenting with it, but I believe I figured out a way to achieve the rising and falling pulse. I am currently using a hopper clock filled with 5 unstackable items, and reading a comparator out of one of the hoppers to get a signal that rises and falls between 0-15 signal strength counting by 3s. This design can be seen in the third image. I was thinking about some how using this rising and falling signal to power the rows of lamps. As I am new to redstone, I understand there could be a more effective method of doing this and am always open to suggestions but this is what I have for now.

My main problem is finding a way to light each row of lamps now that I have the pulsing signal. I need to light each row one at a time, but it does not matter if the row below is also lit. It just can’t light the row above it. With all the crazy builds like working computer screens and other stuff Ik someone’s has probably solved this issue before. Any help on rising and falling pulse, lighting the lamps, or other ideas to achieve this breathing effect would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance.