String Ensemble
String quartets, orchestral string sections, and chamber ensembles with strings have unique tuning flexibility: unlike fixed-pitch instruments, strings can adjust intonation in real time. This makes them natural candidates for just intonation in sustained chords and Pythagorean intonation in melodic lines — the two tuning systems that string players naturally gravitate toward.
Recommended Temperaments
Practical Guidance
Practical guidance: In practice, professional string ensembles operate between two poles: Pythagorean intonation (pure fifths, slightly sharp major thirds) for melodic and leading-tone passages, and just intonation (beatless major thirds, 5:4 ratio) for sustained harmonic intervals. The result is a dynamic, expressive intonation that neither equal temperament nor any fixed system fully captures. When performing with a piano, strings adjust toward equal temperament as the reference. Use Tunable to calibrate open strings and familiarize ensemble members with the cent deviations of each system.
Instruments for This Context
Tune with the Right Temperament — Get Tunable.
Tunable supports all 4 recommended temperaments for String Ensemble — and 16 tuning systems total. See exact Hz values in real time as you play.
