1/6 SC - Attenuated vs. Meantone 1/3 Comma
Compare the tuning characteristics of 1/6 SC - Attenuated and Meantone 1/3 Comma — cent deviations per note, practical guidance, and historical context.
At a Glance
| Feature | 1/6 SC - Attenuated | Meantone 1/3 Comma |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Meantone 1/3 Comma minus 1/6 SC - Attenuated: positive means Meantone 1/3 Comma is sharper.
| Note | 1/6 SC - Attenuated (¢) | Meantone 1/3 Comma (¢) | Difference (¢) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 | +4.80 | +15.64 | +10.84 |
| Db4 | +13.00 | -20.86 | -33.86 |
| D4 | +1.70 | +5.21 | +3.51 |
| Eb4 | +9.80 | +31.28 | +21.48 |
| E4 | -1.60 | -5.21 | -3.61 |
| F4 | +6.50 | +20.86 | +14.36 |
| Gb4 | +14.60 | -15.64 | -30.24 |
| G4 | +3.20 | +10.43 | +7.23 |
| Ab4 | +11.40 | -26.07 | -37.47 |
| A4 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Bb4 | +8.10 | +26.07 | +17.97 |
| B4 | -3.30 | -10.43 | -7.13 |
When to Choose Each
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.
Choose Meantone 1/3 Comma when:
Choose Meantone 1/3 Comma for Baroque keyboard music, Renaissance organ, and harpsichord repertoire where pure or near-pure thirds are the primary consonance.
Historical Context
Both 1/6 SC - Attenuated and Meantone 1/3 Comma 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.
- 1/6 SC - Attenuated
- Developed by Baroque theorists — Baroque era
- Meantone 1/3 Comma
- Developed by Francisco de Salinas (1577) — Renaissance / Baroque era
Compare Temperaments in Tunable — Get Tunable.
Tunable supports 1/6 SC - Attenuated, Meantone 1/3 Comma, and 16 other tuning systems. Hear the difference in real-time as you play.
