Ühesuurused

Ühesuurused, also known as equal temperament, is a system of tuning musical instruments in which the octave is divided into twelve equal parts. This system is widely used in Western music and is the basis for the modern Western musical scale. The term "ühesuurused" comes from the Estonian language, where "ühesuurus" means "equal tuning."

In equal temperament, each semitone (half step) is tuned to a specific frequency ratio, which is the twelfth root of two. This means that the frequency of each note is multiplied by a constant factor to get the frequency of the next note. For example, the frequency of A4 (440 Hz) is multiplied by the twelfth root of two to get the frequency of A#4 (466.16 Hz).

Equal temperament has several advantages over other tuning systems. It allows for the use of any key without retuning the instrument, and it simplifies the process of composing and performing music. However, it also has some disadvantages, such as the lack of a natural tuning system and the potential for dissonance between certain notes.

Equal temperament was developed in the late 16th and early 17th centuries as a compromise between the just intonation and the meantone temperament systems. It was first used in the keyboard instruments of the time, and it quickly spread to other instruments and musical genres.

Today, equal temperament is the standard tuning system for most Western musical instruments, including pianos, guitars, and orchestral instruments. It is also used in electronic music and other forms of contemporary music. Despite its widespread use, there is ongoing debate among musicians and music theorists about the merits of equal temperament and other tuning systems.