Stimmung

Stimmung is a German noun that covers several related senses. In everyday language, it denotes a person’s emotional state or the overall atmosphere of a situation: a mood, temper, or ambiance. The term can apply to individuals, groups, places, or events, as in phrases meaning a joyful mood or a subdued mood.

In music, Stimmung means tuning or intonation. It refers to the adjustment of pitch to fit a chosen tuning system, and by extension to the tuning system itself, called a temperament. Instruments such as pianos and clavichords must be tuned to a specific temperament; historically used temperaments include meantone, well temperament, and equal temperament. The choice of Stimmung affects consonance, dissonance, and tonal color, particularly in keyboard music.

In philosophy, especially phenomenology, Stimmung denotes a pre-reflective mood that structures how things are perceived. It is not a specific emotion but a pervasive attunement that conditions attention and understanding. The concept has been influential in discussions of aesthetics, perception, and social life.

The term is used across disciplines to convey both affective and technical meanings, illustrating how mood and tune are related through the sense of alignment or attunement between subject and world.