Microtonality is a musical system present in many traditions (Arab, Indian, Persian, etc.) and in contemporary music, opening up unprecedented harmonic colors and fine shades of intonation.

Unlike the widely used Western system that divides the octave into 12 equal semitones (known as equal temperament), other systems can be equal or unequal, and can divide the octave into 19, 24, 31…

To a Western ear, these alternative systems can sound out of tune, but once your ear is trained you can appreciate their immense richness for conveying a much wider range of emotions! In reality, today’s Western system is slightly detuned for the sake of ease of instrument tuning and transposability; some alternative systems are therefore more “accurate” than the Western system!

Microtonal music is realized via acoustic instruments with different tunings or that allow continuous access to pitches (e.g., fretless string instruments), but also via electronic or software interfaces with fine parameter control.

Thousands of musicians and theorists around the world exchange ideas and design software tools and physical prototypes to explore this little-known musical universe, yet one that is immensely richer and vaster than Western music.

Exploring these new tunings often requires surfaces with more numerous keys, but also isomorphic layouts in order to keep playing fingerings simple and easy to memorize.

At Intuitive Instruments, we are committed to delving into this universe with you, to offer suitable and accessible tools. Join the discussion around microtonality with Exquis!