Quarter tone

From Free net encyclopedia

A quarter tone is an interval half as wide (aurally, or logarithmically) as a semitone, which is half a whole tone.

In equal temperament the quarter tone is 50 cents or 2^1/24 or 1.029302236643. In 24 tone equal temperament, or the quarter tone scale, it is the smallest step. In just intonation it is often 36:35 or 33:32.

Many composers are known for having written music including quarter tones or the quarter tone scale, first proposed by Mikhá'il Mishdgah (Touma 1996, p.16), including:

• Alois Hába
• Charles Ives
• Krzysztof Penderecki
• Ivan Alexandrovich Vïshnegradsky

Two quarter tones equal a half tone, and three make a three-quarter tone. A three-quarter tone may also be considered half of a minor third.

Many musical genres and cultures use quarter tones, three-quarter tones, or the quarter tone scale, including:

• Arab music, see Arab tone system

See also

• List of quarter tone pieces

External links

• Tonalsoft Encyclopaedia of Tuning

Source

• Habib Hassan Touma (1996). The Music of the Arabs, trans. Laurie Schwartz. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. ISBN 0931340888.

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