just intonation

noun

, Music.

1. a system of tuning based on the pure perfect fifth and major third.

just intonation

noun

1. a form of tuning employing the pitch intervals of the untempered natural scale, sometimes employed in the playing of the violin, cello, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of just intonation¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

She soon met the pioneering minimalist composer La Monte Young and immersed herself in his world of drone music and “just intonation,” an alternative to the standard tuning system of Western music.

From New York Times

Just intonation makes two accommodations to allow its pure intervals.

From Literature

In constructing a just-intonation tuning, it matters which steps of the scale are major whole tones and which are minor whole tones, so an instrument tuned exactly to play with just intonation in the key of C major will have to retune to play in C sharp major or D major.

From Literature

As of this writing, there was useful information about various tuning systems at several different websites, including The Development of Musical Tuning Systems, where one could hear what some intervals sound like in the different tuning systems, and Kyle Gann's Just Intonation Explained, which included some audio samples of works played using just intonation.

From Literature

Just intonation uses both the 9:8 whole tone, which is called a major whole tone and the 10:9 whole tone, which is called a minor whole tone, in order to construct both pure thirds and pure fifths.

From Literature