Equal Temperament

What exactly is equal temperament and how does it work with music...?
I don't know how to play an instrument, trying to learn theory by yourself is kinda difficult...

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Nov 24, 2014
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by: Simon

You're right, learning music without an instrument can be difficult, but keep it up!

Equal temperament is a system of tuning a keyboard instrument so that an octave (e.g. C to C) is split into even intervals. This means there are equal frequency ratios between the notes. This is however, a compromise and means that some of the intervals aren't perfectly in tune.

My best suggestion is to watch Howard Goodall's Big Bangs Episode 2 as he gives a fantastic explanation. In fact, if you have time watch the whole series and also read his book The Story of Music. Both of these will help you understand some of the theory behind music.

Episode 2 is currently on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkArVdlqqg0 but I don't know how long it will stay there. However, it is definitely worth buying the series and the book as they are both a fantastic resource.

Big Bangs - Howard Goodall is also available on the iBooks Store.

Hope this is helpful!
Simon

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