Justintonasjon

Justintonasjon is a tuning system in music. It is based on the natural harmonic series, where intervals are created by using simple integer ratios of frequencies. This means that intervals like the perfect fifth and perfect fourth are tuned to their pure, consonant forms. For example, a perfect fifth in just intonation is typically represented by the ratio 3:2. Similarly, a major third is often 5:4.

The main advantage of just intonation is its purity of sound. Intervals tuned this way are remarkably consonant and can create a rich, resonant quality. This system was widely used in early music and is still favored by some musicians and instrument makers for its acoustic properties. However, just intonation presents significant challenges when it comes to playing in different keys. Because the intervals are fixed to specific ratios, certain keys will sound much more out of tune than others. This limitation makes modulation, or moving smoothly between keys, very difficult or impossible within a single piece without retuning.

The need to overcome these key limitations led to the development of other tuning systems, such as meantone temperament and equal temperament. Equal temperament, which divides the octave into twelve logarithmically equal semitones, is the most common tuning system today. It allows for easy modulation to any key but sacrifices the pure consonance of intervals found in just intonation. Therefore, just intonation remains a historically important and acoustically pure tuning system, albeit one with practical limitations for modern chromatic music.