equal temperament
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equal temperament
n. Music
Modification of the intervals of just intonation in the tuning of instruments of fixed intonation to permit harmonic modulation. It allows one to modulate to or play in any of the 12 major or 12 minor keys.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Noun | 1. | equal temperament - the division of the scale based on an octave that is divided into twelve exactly equal semitones; "equal temperament is the system commonly used in keyboard instruments" temperament - an adjustment of the intervals (as in tuning a keyboard instrument) so that the scale can be used to play in different keys |
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