Microtone
Any interval smaller than a semitone, used in various musical traditions and contemporary composition.
Category
pitch
Pronunciation
/ˈmaɪkrəʊtəʊn/
Origin
Greek (mikros) + Latin (tonus)
Length
161 words · 1 min read
About Microtone
Microtones are pitches that fall between the cracks of the standard twelve-note chromatic scale. Many musical cultures have used microtonal intervals for centuries — Turkish makam, Indian raga, and Arabic maqam systems all employ intervals of roughly a quarter-tone or other fractions of a semitone.
More pitch terms
Frequency
View all pitchterms →The number of sound-wave vibrations per second, measured in hertz, that determines how high or low a pitch sounds.
TemperamentA tuning system that determines how the twelve pitches within an octave are spaced.
FundamentalThe lowest frequency in a harmonic series, perceived as the main pitch of a note.
TuningThe process of adjusting an instrument so its pitches match a chosen reference standard.
IntonationThe accuracy with which a performer produces the correct pitch of each note.
Synonyms
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v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →