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List of meantone intervals

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The following is a list of intervals of extended meantone temperament. These intervals constitute the standard vocabulary of intervals for the Western common practice era. Here 12 EDO refers to the size of the interval in the temperament with 12 equal divisions of the octave, which is the most common meantone temperament in the modern era, 19 EDO to 19 equal temperament, 31 EDO to 31 equal temperament, and 50 EDO to 50 equal temperament. Note that for brevity, several of the intervals for 31 EDO and 50 EDO are omitted from the table.

R.W. Duffin writes:

"Specifying that the major semitone should be ⁠3/ 2 ⁠ the minor semitone creates a 31 note division of the octave, which, in turn, closely corresponds to extended-quarter-comma meantone ... the 5:4 ratio extended-sixth-comma meantone corresponds to the 55 division ... extended-fifth-comma meantone the 43 division of the octave ratio of the major to minor semitone is 4:3."

The other meantone correspondencies:

"a 1:1 ratio produces a 12 division" (⁠1/ 11 ⁠ comma meantone)
"2:1 results in a 19 division" (⁠1/ 3 ⁠ comma meantone)
"5:3, which results in a 50 division" (⁠2/ 7 ⁠ comma meantone)

are derived from these statements.


The column of ratios gives a ratio or ratios approximated by the interval in septimal meantone temperament. An augmented interval is increased by a chromatic semitone, and a diminished interval decreased.

12 EDO
(≈⁠1/ 11 ⁠ c)
Quarter-
comma
19 EDO
(≈⁠1/ 3 ⁠c)
31 EDO
(≈⁠1/ 4 ⁠c)
50 EDO
(≈⁠2/ 7 ⁠c)
Note
(from C)
Roman
numeral
Name Classic
ratios
Septimal
ratios
steps cents cents steps cents steps cents steps cents
0 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0 C I Unison 1:1
41.06 1 63.16 1 38.71 2 48 Ddouble flat double flatII Diminished second 128:125 36:35
1 100 76.05 2 77.42 3 72 C♯ ♯I Chromatic semitone 25:24 21:20
117.11 2 126.32 3 116.13 5 120 D♭ ♭II Minor second 16:15, 27:25 15:14
2 200 193.16 3 189.47 5 193.55 8 192 D II Whole tone 9:8, 10:9
234.22 4 252.63 6 232.26 10 240 Edouble flat double flatIII Diminished third 144:125 8:7
3 300 269.21 7 270.97 11 264 D♯ ♯II Augmented second 75:64, 125:108 7:6
310.26 5 315.79 8 309.68 13 312 E♭ ♭III Minor third 6:5, 32:27
4 400 386.31 6 378.95 10 387.10 16 384 E III Major third 5:4
427.37 7 442.11 11 425.81 18 432 F♭ ♭IV Diminished fourth 32:25 9:7
5 500 462.36 12 464.52 19 456 E♯ ♯III Augmented third 125:96 21:16
503.42 8 505.26 13 503.23 21 504 F IV Perfect fourth 4:3, 27:20
6 600 579.47 9 568.42 15 580.65 24 576 F♯ ♯IV Augmented fourth 25:18, 45:32 7:5
620.53 10 631.58 16 619.35 26 624 G♭ ♭V Diminished fifth 36:25, 64:45 10:7
7 700 696.58 11 694.74 18 696.77 29 696 G V Perfect fifth 3:2, 40:27
737.64 12 757.89 19 735.48 31 744 Adouble flat double flatVI Diminished sixth 192:125 32:21
8 800 772.63 20 774.19 32 768 G♯ ♯V Augmented fifth 25:16 14:9
813.69 13 821.05 21 812.90 34 816 A♭ ♭VI Minor sixth 8:5
9 900 889.74 14 884.21 23 890.32 37 888 A VI Major sixth 5:3, 27:16
930.79 15 947.37 24 929.03 39 936 Bdouble flat double flatVII Diminished seventh 128:75, 216:125 12:7
10 1000 965.78 25 967.74 40 960 A♯ ♯VI Augmented sixth 125:72 7:4
1006.84 16 1010.53 26 1006.45 42 1008 B♭ ♭VII Minor seventh 9:5, 16:9
11 1100 1082.89 17 1073.68 28 1083.87 45 1080 B VII Major seventh 15:8, 50:27 28:15
1123.95 18 1136.84 29 1122.58 47 1128 C♭ ♭VIII Diminished octave 48:25 40:21
12 1200 1158.94 30 1161.29 48 1152 B♯ ♯VII Augmented seventh 125:64 35:18
1200.00 19 1200.00 31 1200.00 50 1200 C VIII Octave 2:1

See also

Musical tunings
Measurement
Just intonation
Temperaments
Equal
Linear
IrregularWell temperament/Temperament ordinaire (Kirnberger, Vallotti, Werckmeister, Young)
Traditional
non-Western
Non-octave
Music theory lists

References

  1. Duffin, R.W. (2007). How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony (and why you should care). New York, NY: W.W. Norton. pp. 91–92.
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