Neidhardt Temperament

Quick Facts

Creator

Johann Georg Neidhardt (1724)

Historical Era

Baroque / Classical

Formula Type

cent-offsets

Key Advantage

Closest well-temperament to equal temperament — very flexible key use.

Key Limitation

Minimal key color differentiation; the subtle differences may be inaudible on some instruments.

Typical Use

Late Baroque through Classical repertoire where equal temperament proximity is preferred.

Mathematical Basis

This well temperament distributes the Pythagorean comma unevenly across the circle of fifths, giving pure or near-pure intervals in closely-related keys while making distant keys progressively more tempered.

Sound Character

Well temperaments feature varied key color: keys near C major sound purer and more consonant, while distant keys (many sharps or flats) have more harmonic tension and a brighter, more chromatic character. This gives each key a distinctive musical affect, making well temperaments particularly suited to multi-key keyboard repertoire.

Neidhardt Temperament Frequency Table — All 12 Notes at A4=440Hz

Frequencies in Hz at A4=440Hz. Positive cents = sharper than equal temperament. Negative = flatter. Formula: f = f_equal × 2^(cents/1200)

Historical Context

Neidhardt Temperament originates from the Baroque / Classical era, developed by Johann Georg Neidhardt (1724). It was primarily used for Late Baroque through Classical repertoire where equal temperament proximity is preferred..

Well temperaments emerged in the Baroque era as practical compromises between meantone purity and equal temperament flexibility. J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier (1722) may have been composed with a specific well temperament in mind.

Who Uses Neidhardt Temperament Today

Well temperaments are used today by harpsichordists, fortepiano players, and historically-informed keyboard performers. Many period instrument specialists choose specific well temperaments to match the repertoire being performed.

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