Equal Temperament vs. Sixth-Comma Meantone
Compare the tuning characteristics of Equal Temperament and Sixth-Comma Meantone — cent deviations per note, practical guidance, and historical context.
At a Glance
| Feature | Equal Temperament | Sixth-Comma Meantone |
|---|---|---|
| Category | equal | meantone |
| Formula Type | equal-division | fractional-comma |
| Historical Era | Modern | Baroque |
| Key Advantage | All 12 keys are equally in-tune — transpose freely without re-tuning. | Compromise between equal and quarter-comma: better key flexibility with acceptable thirds. |
| Key Limitation | Pure fifths (2 cents flat) and major thirds (14 cents sharp) are slightly impure in every key. | Major thirds less pure than quarter-comma; wolf fifth still present but narrower. |
| Typical Use | Standard tuning for all modern Western instruments since the 20th century. | Late Baroque keyboard music where some modulation is needed alongside pure-ish thirds. |
Cent Deviations: All 12 Notes vs. Equal Temperament
Positive cents = sharper than equal temperament. Negative = flatter. Difference column shows Sixth-Comma Meantone minus Equal Temperament: positive means Sixth-Comma Meantone is sharper.
| Note | Equal Temperament (¢) | Sixth-Comma Meantone (¢) | Difference (¢) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 | 0.00 | +6.85 | +6.85 |
| Db4 | 0.00 | -9.65 | -9.65 |
| D4 | 0.00 | +1.96 | +1.96 |
| Eb4 | 0.00 | +13.69 | +13.69 |
| E4 | 0.00 | -3.42 | -3.42 |
| F4 | 0.00 | +8.80 | +8.80 |
| Gb4 | 0.00 | -6.85 | -6.85 |
| G4 | 0.00 | +4.89 | +4.89 |
| Ab4 | 0.00 | -11.60 | -11.60 |
| A4 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Bb4 | 0.00 | +11.73 | +11.73 |
| B4 | 0.00 | -4.89 | -4.89 |
When to Choose Each
Choose Equal Temperament when:
Choose Equal Temperament for modern ensembles, fixed-pitch instruments (piano, guitar, wind instruments), and any music that modulates freely across all 24 keys. It is the universal standard for contemporary Western music.
Choose Sixth-Comma Meantone when:
Choose Sixth-Comma Meantone when you need meantone warmth but access to a slightly wider range of keys. Its compromise between pure thirds and usable distant keys suits mid-Baroque repertoire.
Historical Context
Meantone temperaments dominated keyboard music from roughly 1500-1700, while Equal Temperament only became the universal standard around 1900. The 200-year transition from meantone to equal represents a deliberate trade-off: surrendering key color and pure thirds in exchange for unlimited modulation across all keys.
- Equal Temperament
- Developed by Theoretical development (12-TET standardized c. 1900) — Modern era
- Sixth-Comma Meantone
- Developed by Giuseppe Tartini and Baroque theorists (c. 1750) — Baroque era
Compare Temperaments in Tunable — Get Tunable.
Tunable supports Equal Temperament, Sixth-Comma Meantone, and 14 other tuning systems. Hear the difference in real-time as you play.
