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equal temperament

American  

noun

Music.
  1. the division of an octave into 12 equal semitones, as in the tuning of a piano.


Example Sentences

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In its simplest terms, just intonation means that the ratios between notes are whole numbers, rather than the irrational ratios that divide the octave in the familiar framework of equal temperament.

From New York Times Dec. 28, 2021

But it also loses in the process a richness, making me wonder what might have happened were it played in a more acoustically natural equal temperament.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 25, 2017

Meanwhile there was no such thing back then as equal temperament.

From The Guardian Dec. 29, 2016

“Learning a major scale in equal temperament, you’re internalizing an entire worldview,” he said.

From New York Times Dec. 16, 2016

A piano tuner works by listening to and timing these beats, rather than by being able to "hear" equal temperament intervals precisely.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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