microtones
Intervals smaller than semitones
Microtones are musical intervals smaller than a semitone—the smallest step on a standard Western piano.
While Western music divides the octave into twelve equal parts, many musical traditions use finer divisions: quarter tones in Arabic music, the subtle inflections of Indian ragas, or the "blue notes" in jazz that fall between piano keys.
Composers like Harry Partch built instruments to play microtonal scales.
The piece uses microtones that sound slightly out of tune to Western ears.
Hundredth of a dollar
- commaPunctuation marking pauses
- shrutiIndian microtonal pitch interval
- temperamentInborn behavioral nature
- well-temperedHaving steady composure
intonation · detuning · retuning · calibration · enharmonic
Indian melodic framework
Rate of recurrence
- hertzFrequency measurement unit
- centsDollar subdivisions
- intervalDuration between two points
- overtoneSubsidiary meaning or harmonic
partial · fundamental · spectrum · resonance · wavelength · vibration · soundwave · psychoacoustics
Indian plucked lute
- oudAromatic heartwood or plucked instrument
- erhuChinese bowed string instrument
- shamisenJapanese three-stringed plucked instrument
- fretlessHaving no fingerboard dividers
theremin · trombone · violin · cello · synthesizer · harp · koto
Governed by chance
- electroacousticInvolving amplified sound production
- serialismFixed-sequence composition technique
- minimalismAesthetic of reduction
- algorithmicFollowing programmed steps
cent
Hundredth of a dollar
- commaPunctuation marking pauses
- shrutiIndian microtonal pitch interval
- temperamentInborn behavioral nature
well-tempered · intonation · detuning · retuning · calibration · enharmonic
raga
Indian melodic framework
- shrutiIndian microtonal pitch interval
- gamelanIndonesian percussive ensemble
- byzantineDauntingly intricate and devious
klezmer · vibrato · ornamentation · melisma
frequency
Rate of recurrence
overtone · partial · fundamental · spectrum · resonance · wavelength · vibration · soundwave · psychoacoustics · beating
sitar
Indian plucked lute
- oudAromatic heartwood or plucked instrument
- erhuChinese bowed string instrument
- shamisenJapanese three-stringed plucked instrument
fretless · theremin · trombone · violin · cello · synthesizer · harp · koto
aleatory
Governed by chance
- electroacousticInvolving amplified sound production
- serialismFixed-sequence composition technique
- minimalismAesthetic of reduction
microtonessemitones
Smallest standard musical intervals
whole tones · half steps · octaves · perfect fifths · fifths