Exploration of Tuning Systems Ep 4: Unfamiliar Notations

What is the future of music? Will equal temperament dominate capitalist music consumption forever? In this episode we will face the challenges of moving away from equal temperament, such as fixed instrument limitations, unfamiliar notation systems and advanced recording methods.

In Western culture today, our music is, for the most part, confined to equal temperament, in which we have 12 fixed pitches to build harmony and melody. But what about our infinite potential of pitches, and the sonic experience of micro-intervals? This series explores whether microtonality and just intonation have a place in mainstream consumption of music. Looking at the history of our tuning systems, notions of what really is ‘in tune’, and the sonic experience of pure intervals, we will discover how equal temperament can limit us, and how composers are breaking free from this convention.