Topmusicanswers
The term temperament refers to a tuning system that allows intervals to beat instead of tuning pure or "just intervals". In equal temperament, for instance, a fifth would be tempered by narrowing it slightly, achieved by flattening its upper pitch slightly, or raising its lower pitch slightly.
- Is a piano tuned to equal temperament?
- Should I tune to equal or just temperament?
- What is tempered tuning?
- Is equal temperament good?
Is a piano tuned to equal temperament?
Pianos today are tuned in "equal temperament," which means that each note is the same distance in pitch from its neighbours.
Should I tune to equal or just temperament?
For the purposes of this chart, it is assumed that C4 = 261.63 Hz is used for both (this gives A4 = 440 Hz for the equal tempered scale).
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Just vs Equal Temperament (and related topics)
| Interval | Ratio to Fundamental Just Scale | Ratio to Fundamental Equal Temperament |
|---|---|---|
| Major Third | 5/4 = 1.2500 | 1.25992 |
What is tempered tuning?
In musical tuning, a temperament is a tuning system that slightly compromises the pure intervals of just intonation to meet other requirements. ... Tempering is the process of altering the size of an interval by making it narrower or wider than pure.
Is equal temperament good?
Equal temperament is appropriate for some music of the 20th century, especially atonal music, and music based on the whole tone scale, but not for the works of the 18th and 19th centuries. Equal temperament, the modern and usually inappropriate system of tuning used in western music, is based on the twelfth root of 2.
