Musical tuning
The adjustment of pitch and the systems that define it.
Musical tuning encompasses both the practice of adjusting an instrument's pitch to establish typical intervals and the theoretical systems that define which pitches to use. It is a fundamental aspect of music, ensuring instruments sound correct relative to a reference pitch and to each other.
- field
- Music theory and practice
- known_for
- Defining tuning practice and tuning systems
- key_concepts
- Reference pitch, intervals, equal temperament, just intonation
Lore & Background
Tuning practice involves adjusting the pitch of instruments to establish typical intervals, usually based on a fixed reference such as A = 440 Hz. Instruments can become out of tune due to temperature, humidity, damage, or time, requiring readjustment. Methods vary: matching pitch with the voice, turning pegs to adjust string tension, or modifying tube length in wind and brass instruments. Tuning may be done aurally or with electronic devices, and interference beats are used to objectively measure accuracy.
Reader's Guide
Tuning systems define which tones or pitches to use in music, involving the choice of number and spacing of frequency values. Due to psychoacoustic interaction, certain tone combinations sound more natural, such as the octave (1:2 ratio) and the perfect fifth (2:3 ratio). As the number of tones increases, conflicts arise in how each tone combines, leading to the creation of many different tuning systems. String instruments without frets, like those of the violin family, are often tuned to beatless just perfect fifths, while fretted instruments like the guitar are typically tuned in equal temperament. The choice of tuning system affects the sound and playability of music across different ensembles and genres.
Did You Know?
- The term 'out of tune' refers to a pitch that is either too high (sharp) or too low (flat) relative to a given reference.
- Interference beats are used to objectively measure the accuracy of tuning; as two pitches approach a harmonic relationship, the frequency of beating decreases.
- Some instruments, such as cymbals, are of indeterminate pitch and have irregular overtones not conforming to the harmonic series.
- Scordatura, or non-standard tunings, have been used by composers to change the sound of an instrument or create other playing options.
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