microtone
noun
any musical interval smaller than a semitone, specifically, a quarter tone.
microtonality
-
a word derived from
microtone.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I’ve explored microtonality, so on the one hand, it’s like everything’s in tune, right?
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2025
It had nothing to do with the microtonality — it was about making this stuff sound vibrant and spontaneous when it’s not that at all.
From New York Times ● Feb. 11, 2024
Atria’s rhythms had a welcoming, social propulsion, and the microtonality of his writing for keyboard proposed an individual — even insular — language.
From New York Times ● Sep. 15, 2022
The writer was Georg Friedrich Haas, whose powerfully emotional, politically charged music and explorations of microtonality make him one of the world’s leading composers.
From New York Times ● Feb. 23, 2016
While there is traditional singing, pitches are not always tuned to a rigorous tempered scale but allow for expressive microtonality, something true of the marimbas as well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2015
