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History of Piano Tuning

During the 18th and 19th centuries, piano tuners did not have a standardized method of tuning the instrument. Each piano tuner had an individual method that changed every tuning.
  1. Meantone Tuning

    • Meantone tuning began in the 15th Century and lasted until the 19th Century. The tuning method tunes the intervals of a perfect third and perfect fifth equally.

    Andreas Werckmeister's Well Temperament

    • Well temperament was a method of tuning so that all 24 musical scales would sound equally well when played, used in Mozart's time.

    Thomas Young's Well Temperament

    • Thomas Young used a tuning method where all the keys were balanced around D and G-sharp. This method allowed for C to G to sound sweet, and the black notes to sound somber and stern.

    Just Intonation

    • Just intonation uses an acoustically pure method of creating intervals by equating notes to fractions, basing all of the other tones on a note designated as 1/1. It is a modern alternative to equal temperament.

    Equal Temperament

    • Equal Temperament is the modern approach to tuning, using a machine to calibrate the notes to where they are equal divisions of twelve.

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