Semantic Daniélou-53 V2Semantic Daniélou-53 V2The so-called “tempered” scale has been in use by Occidental musicians for two centuries.

It follows on from the “unequal” temperaments of the Baroque period, which were designed to reduce the number of notes needed for the harmonies in use at the time, thus making it easier to play certain instruments while retaining a certain degree of accuracy. The ’12-note equal temperament’ used by default in Occidental instruments today standardises the intervals identically in all keys, to the detriment of accuracy, since apart from the octave, the eleven other intervals it proposes are all more or less approximate in terms of their acoustic consonance.
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