Equal Temperament vs. 1/6 SC - Attenuated
Compare the tuning characteristics of Equal Temperament and 1/6 SC - Attenuated — cent deviations per note, practical guidance, and historical context.
At a Glance
| Feature | Equal Temperament | 1/6 SC - Attenuated |
|---|---|---|
| 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 1/6 SC - Attenuated minus Equal Temperament: positive means 1/6 SC - Attenuated is sharper.
| Note | Equal Temperament (¢) | 1/6 SC - Attenuated (¢) | Difference (¢) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 | 0.00 | +4.80 | +4.80 |
| Db4 | 0.00 | +13.00 | +13.00 |
| D4 | 0.00 | +1.70 | +1.70 |
| Eb4 | 0.00 | +9.80 | +9.80 |
| E4 | 0.00 | -1.60 | -1.60 |
| F4 | 0.00 | +6.50 | +6.50 |
| Gb4 | 0.00 | +14.60 | +14.60 |
| G4 | 0.00 | +3.20 | +3.20 |
| Ab4 | 0.00 | +11.40 | +11.40 |
| A4 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Bb4 | 0.00 | +8.10 | +8.10 |
| B4 | 0.00 | -3.30 | -3.30 |
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 1/6 SC - Attenuated when:
Choose 1/6 SC - Attenuated for Baroque keyboard music, Renaissance organ, and harpsichord repertoire where pure or near-pure thirds are the primary consonance.
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
- 1/6 SC - Attenuated
- Developed by Baroque theorists — Baroque era
Compare Temperaments in Tunable — Get Tunable.
Tunable supports Equal Temperament, 1/6 SC - Attenuated, and 16 other tuning systems. Hear the difference in real-time as you play.
