The archive contains posts discussing equal temperament.
What is equal temperament, and why do we use it to tune?
Equal temperament (ET) is the standard for tuning pianos. ET first came into common use in Europe, but Zhu Zaiyu of China first worked out the math in the late 1500s. However, ET did not impact the everyday Chinese music of the time.
The Chinese had tuned bells, one for each month. Moreover, the bells required a special tuning. They needed to be tuned so that the pitches cycled back to their starting point at the new year.
ET solved this problem. The rest of Chinese music remained pentatonic based, which musicians tuned using concepts from the monochord.
ET in Europe came into use to solve a problem. Namely, the issues caused by the mismatch of vocal versus instrumental tuning.
In the Medieval period, the instruments were tuned using Pythagorean tuning. However, when singers harmonize, they approximate just intonation. This means that instruments tuned to Pythagorean tuning do not support vocal harmony very well.
Diverse compromise systems had gained popularity over the years. Keyboardists tuned up using meantone in Mozart’s day. Meantone does a good job of tuning the major thirds, but can function in only a limited number of keys.
J.S. Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier creates a showcase for Bach’s tuning. We do not know exactly how Bach tuned his keyboard. However, generally the well temperaments can use every key, but some keys remain better in tune than others. Plus, it also creates key coloration.
Equal temperament could be thought of as a very regular well temperament. This gives it several advantages:
However, ET does not work nearly so well with the organ’s tone color. Also, the equal tempered major third remains barely in tune. For this reason, I created Supplemented Equal Temperament (SET). SET is an enhanced version of ET. ET gets discussed in the archive posts mostly in relation to SET.
© 2021 Geoffrey Keith
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Do you want to learn how to harmonize in tune? We will discuss getting a strong vocal tone as we continue to harmonize with sing-along songs. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Are you passionate about singing? Do you have a hard time singing or playing in tune? Learn the 10 Elements that Impact Singing in Tune. Estimated reading time 14 minutes.
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Tired of having your guitar or synth sound out of tune? “Intonation and Supplemented Equal Temperament” shows how to make them sound amazing! Estimated reading time 12 minutes.
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Do you want your band to sound better? Have you ever been frustrated that your guitar or keyboard sounds out of tune when you play chords? Learn how to get a killer sound for your band by retuning your keyboards and guitars using Supplemented Equal Temperament. Supplemented Equal Temperament works with equal tempered instruments. It also works with variable pitch instruments such as voices, violins, and winds. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
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Does your choir have pitch issues? Retune your synth to make examples of good sounding chords. After years of hearing pianos tuned to equal temperament, many singers cannot sing harmony accurately. The piano is a bad model for how well-tuned chords should sound. Read more to learn how to sing in tune with synth settings! Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Are you frustrated that your synth chords sound out of tune? Supplemented Equal Temperament is designed to play chords that sound more in tune than the regular piano tuning: equal temperament. Learn how to better tune your chords in Supplemented Equal Temperament tuning. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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Does it ever bother you that the piano chords sound out of tune? The guitar is not the only instrument that can be retuned. Retuning the keys to Supplemented Equal Temperament (SET) yields chords that sound better than equal temperament – the standard piano tuning. In SET, the triads sound incredible. Learn how to micro tune the keyboard using SET for awesome chords! Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Want to train your ear to harmonize in tune? All you need is a guitar. Read more to learn how to sing in tune like an a cappella singer! Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
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Frustrated that the guitar’s chords don’t sound in tune? Learn to tune the blues rock open D tuning using harmonics so you can play chords in tune. You will also learn the song “Jumping Jack Flash.” Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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How you tune affects how you sound. We look at how Keith Richards tunes his special open G tuning. The post includes video interviews with Keith Richards. Learn how to tune like a rock star! Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
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