tuning and temperament

tuning and temperament, in music, the adjustment of one sound source, such as a voice or string, to produce a desired pitch in relation to a given pitch, and the modification of that tuning to lessen dissonance. The determination of pitch, the quality of sound that is described as ‘high” or “low,” is based upon the frequency of sound waves. Two concepts fundamental to the theory of tuning are those of frequency ratio and of...