Monday, July 14, 2025

Just Intonation

Here is a puzzle: how many ways are there to tune a piano using just intonation? The answer will of course depend on the exact rules.

  • All octaves are perfect: C5 is twice the frequency of C4, etc.
  • A4 is fixed to 440 Hz.
  • Each note must be tuned to at least one other note by a just interval, one of
    • an octave 2:1
    • a perfect fifth 3:2
    • a perfect fourth 4:3
    • a major third 5:4
    • a minor third 6:5
    • a major sixth 5:3
    • a minor sixth 8:5
  • these interval relationships must correspond to convention. E.g. if E is linked to C by an just interval, that interval must be a major third.
  • there must be a path of these just intervals connecting any two notes
I think these rules are enough to define the puzzle.

The diagram above provides a hint that the number of ways to tune a piano with just intonation is likely quite large. Writing a bit of software to enumerate the possibilities shouldn't be too difficult...

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