Sixth-Comma Meantone vs. Third-Comma Meantone
Compare the tuning characteristics of Sixth-Comma Meantone and Third-Comma Meantone — cent deviations per note, practical guidance, and historical context.
At a Glance
| Feature | Sixth-Comma Meantone | Third-Comma Meantone |
|---|---|---|
| Category | meantone | meantone |
| Formula Type | fractional-comma | fractional-comma |
| Historical Era | Baroque | Renaissance / Baroque |
| Key Advantage | Compromise between equal and quarter-comma: better key flexibility with acceptable thirds. | Pure minor thirds (6:5) — better suited to minor-mode Renaissance music. |
| Key Limitation | Major thirds less pure than quarter-comma; wolf fifth still present but narrower. | Wider wolf fifth and less pure major thirds than quarter-comma meantone. |
| Typical Use | Late Baroque keyboard music where some modulation is needed alongside pure-ish thirds. | Renaissance music with emphasis on minor thirds and minor-key tonality. |
Cent Deviations: All 12 Notes vs. Equal Temperament
Positive cents = sharper than equal temperament. Negative = flatter. Difference column shows Third-Comma Meantone minus Sixth-Comma Meantone: positive means Third-Comma Meantone is sharper.
| Note | Sixth-Comma Meantone (¢) | Third-Comma Meantone (¢) | Difference (¢) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 | +6.85 | +13.69 | +6.84 |
| Db4 | -9.65 | -17.59 | -7.94 |
| D4 | +1.96 | +5.21 | +3.25 |
| Eb4 | +13.69 | +27.37 | +13.68 |
| E4 | -3.42 | -3.42 | 0.00 |
| F4 | +8.80 | +18.90 | +10.10 |
| Gb4 | -6.85 | -13.69 | -6.84 |
| G4 | +4.89 | +9.78 | +4.89 |
| Ab4 | -11.60 | -22.80 | -11.20 |
| A4 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Bb4 | +11.73 | +22.48 | +10.75 |
| B4 | -4.89 | -9.78 | -4.89 |
When to Choose Each
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.
Choose Third-Comma Meantone when:
Choose Third-Comma Meantone for a balance between pure minor thirds and accessible distant keys. Historically used alongside quarter-comma for some Baroque keyboard works.
Historical Context
Both Sixth-Comma Meantone and Third-Comma Meantone belong to the meantone family of temperaments, which dominated keyboard music from roughly 1500-1700. They differ in how much of the syntonic comma is distributed across the circle of fifths, giving each a slightly different balance between third purity and usable key range. Composers including Frescobaldi, Byrd, and early Bach likely encountered both.
- Sixth-Comma Meantone
- Developed by Giuseppe Tartini and Baroque theorists (c. 1750) — Baroque era
- Third-Comma Meantone
- Developed by Francisco de Salinas (1577) — Renaissance / Baroque era
Compare Temperaments in Tunable — Get Tunable.
Tunable supports Sixth-Comma Meantone, Third-Comma Meantone, and 14 other tuning systems. Hear the difference in real-time as you play.
