A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF TEMPERAMENT

Abstract

This study is a review article and aims to examine the historical development process of equal temperament, known as the tuning system of piano and fixed-fretted instruments. Temperament is briefly defined as changing musical intervals from their counterparts in the natural (Just Intonation) scale at certain rates. As of the end of the 1300s, it is known that most keyboard instruments were tempered. The first method described in writing is the temperament called “mean-tone”. In this method, importance was given to the thirds being natural or close to nature, on the other hand, the fifths were slightly lowered. In the mean-tone temperament, some intervals which are excessively high or low and the presence of unusable scales has led to the emergence of irregular temperaments. Although there are more than one interval with the same name in irregular temperaments, this method has been applied to keyboard instruments for about two centuries, since all scales can be used. Even when using mean-tone temperament and irregular temperament, the importance and necessity of equal temperament has always been a subject advocated by theorists. Though equal temperament began to be practiced on fretted instruments in the 1570s, it was accepted much later in keyboard instruments. The cent system, which was introduced by Alexander J. Ellis in 1876, is a turning point in the calculation of equal temperament. With the spread of 12-tone music in international art music in the 20th century, unequal temperaments came to an end, and it was accepted as a common tuning system for keyboard and fretted instruments.