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22 equal temperament

What is 22 equal temperament? A clear definition from the tuning & pitch section of our glossary, with 16 related terms, tools to try and further reading.

Definition of 22 equal temperament

In music, 22 equal temperament, called 22-TET, 22-EDO, or 22-ET, is the tempered scale derived by dividing the octave into 22 equal steps (equal frequency ratios). Each step represents a frequency ratio of 22√2, or 54.55 cents.

When composing with 22-ET, one needs to take into account a variety of considerations. Considering the 5-limit, there is a difference between 3 fifths and the sum of 1 fourth and 1 major third. It means that, starting from C, there are two A's—one 16 steps and one 17 steps away. There is also a difference between a major tone and a minor tone. In C major, the second note (D) will be 4 steps away. However, in A minor, where A is 6 steps below C, the fourth note (D) will be 9 steps above A, so 3 steps above C. So when switching from C major to A minor, one needs to slightly change the D note. These discrepancies arise because, unlike 12-ET, 22-ET does not temper out the syntonic comma of 81/80, but instead exaggerates its size by mapping it to one step.

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What is 22 equal temperament?

In music, 22 equal temperament, called 22-TET, 22-EDO, or 22-ET, is the tempered scale derived by dividing the octave into 22 equal steps (equal frequency ratios). Each step represents a frequency ratio of 22√2, or 54.55 cents.

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