Is the study of different systems of tuning and how they affect the sound of music.
Pitch: The frequency of sound and the relationship between different pitches.
Equal temperament: A system of tuning where the octave is divided into 12 equal parts.
Just intonation: A system of tuning where pitches are based on the natural harmonic series.
Pythagorean tuning: A system of tuning where pitches are based on the ratios of numbers.
Meantone temperament: A system of tuning where some intervals are slightly smaller or larger than pure intervals.
Microtonal music: Music that uses pitches outside of the standard Western 12-tone system.
Comma: The tiny difference between a pure interval and a tempered interval in tuning.
Temperament: The tuning system used to divide the octave into specific intervals.
Tuner: A device used to determine the pitch of a musical instrument or voice.
Harmonic series: The series of overtones and partials that occur when a note is played.
Frequency analysis: The process of measuring the frequency of a soundwave.
Enharmonic notes: Notes that have different names but the same pitch, such as B# and C.
Tuning systems in different cultures: A comparison of Western tuning systems to those used in other cultures.
Historical temperament: The various tuning systems used throughout history.
Equal Temperament: A tuning system in which the octave is divided into 12 equal parts (semitones), resulting in all intervals being slightly out of tune.
Just Intonation: A tuning system in which the frequencies of the notes are based on ratios of small whole numbers, making the intervals harmonically pure and pleasing to the ear.
Pythagorean Tuning: A tuning system in which the frequency of the notes is based on the succession of perfect fifths. This results in the octaves being slightly out of tune with modern standard pitch due to the mathematical relationship of the frequency ratios.
Meantone Tuning: A tuning system that emerged in the Renaissance in which the thirds in a scale are made pure, thereby compromising the purity of the other intervals. This system was used extensively in keyboard music of the time.
Werckmeister Tuning: A tuning system developed by Andreas Werckmeister that was designed to provide pure harmonies while allowing for modulation to different keys. This system involved tempering the fifths and thirds to create pure intervals in all keys without sacrificing any key signatures.
Kirnberger Tuning: A variant of Mean-tone tuning that was developed by Johann Kirnberger in which multiple cycles of fifths are arranged to produce a small interval called a "comma," which is then divided amongst various intervals to create pure intervals in all keys.
Just Perfect Intonation: A tuning system based on the pure intervals of the harmonic series, which results in pure major and minor thirds, but unevenly tempered fifths.
Valotti Temperament: Another type of Mean-tone tuning, in which the fifths are tuned narrower than those of meantone tuning, allowing for pure intervals in more keys.
Quarter-Comma Meantone Tuning: A variant of Mean-tone tuning that sacrifices the purity of certain keys in exchange for greater purity in others. In this system, the fifths are tuned slightly narrow and the thirds slightly wide, resulting in a unique and distinctive sounding system.
Lute Tuning: A type of Just Intonation specially adapted for lutes, which are fretted instruments with a different string length and width than other stringed instruments. This tuning system was based on the measurement of the length of the strings and the harmonics produced on them.