Microtonal Keyboard

 

Overview

Twelve-tone equal temperament has been the dominant tuning system for keyboard instruments in Western music since roughly the turn of the last century. Our project is a keyboard that, instead, uses an extended 5-limit just intonation system in order to play "in tune". It has a hexagonal generalized keyboard layout which is isomorphic, meaning that intervals have the "same shape", facilitating performance.​ 

 

Community Benefit

This project is a proof of concept for a solution to the problem of playing "in tune" with relatively little restriction. The just intonation keyboard mapping is suitable for playing some music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, Indian classical music, as well as music made by those interested in exploiting the resources found in this tuning.​

 

Team Members

• George Bechtel 
• Amanda Mountcastle 
• Max Rothman 
• Youmei Xu 
   

Sponsored By:

Dr. Zhuang