12 Tone Equal Temperament

On a standard piano keyboard, one octave is divided into 7 whole tones: A, B, C, D, E, F and G. In between these tones are 5 further notes which can be called either sharps or flats: A# (Bb), C# (Db), D# (Eb), F# (Gb), G# (Ab). (whether it's a sharp of a flat doesn't really matter, the note has the same frequency, just a different name). This gives us a grand total of 12 notes in one octave. If you were to measure the frequency of a note, then measure the frequency of a note exactly one octa...

 The 12-Note Octave is Too Good to be True

[Playing notes on a piano] One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven... Eight... Nine... Ten... Eleven... Twelve... 12 different pitches, and then back to where we began. Incredible! Fantastic! The mystical number 12. There are 12 hours in the A.M. and 12 hours in the P.M. The new day begins at 12 midnight. There are 12 months in a year. Both the Western and Chinese Zodiac have 12 signs. Further, the Chinese use a 12-year cycle for reckoning time. There are 12 eggs in a dozen. 12 d...