Scale Temperaments
On this website, I have urged players to be satisfied and happy with equal temperament (after an instrument has been truly compensated, and plays in tune).
Nevertheless, many would like to know more about temperaments - and why we don’t use a different scale, so as to produce natural harmonies. (A natural harmony occurs when the frequencies of two notes have a whole number ratio. For example, a note with a frequency of 1/2 of the other (an octave lower), or a note with a frequency of 1/3, 1/4, or 2/5 of the other. Overtones are natural harmonies of the root.)
This stuff is certainly not new! It goes back to Pythagoras, in the 6th century BC, and to the renaissance period, the 14th-17th centuries! Fortunately, there is much excellent information on the subject, so I will simply point you in the right direction. Please enjoy these links:
Physics of Music - Notes
Wikipedia - Musical Temperament
Seventh String - Note Frequencies
A Just Temperament Guitar Keyboard Rock on!
True Temperament Fretting Systems
True Temperament is not a
temperament; it’s a Company that builds guitar replacement necks and fretboards
with wiggly shaped frets. Necks start
at $795 – that’s unfinished and uninstalled. The frets are curved, with all notes placed according to
experimental data. Most of their necks
and guitars are set up to play in well temperament. You can select between two versions depending on what keys you
prefer to play in.
They also build an equal temperament neck, again with notes placed according to experimental data. Starting with a straight nut, they shape the frets so that all notes are in correct locations, said to result in perfect pitch.
It’s interesting to me though that, when I look at the photo of the equal
temperament neck, I can imagine that, with some compensation at the nut and
saddle, those waves would mostly (but not entirely) straighten out!
Go
to their FAQ Page for a good understanding of the products and principles.
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