quarter tone
Definition
- Noun:
- A musical interval equal to half of a semitone: A "quarter tone" is a microtonal interval that divides the standard Western semitone into two equal parts. It is smaller than the smallest interval in traditional Western music and is used in various musical systems worldwide.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The composer's piece required the violinist to play a difficult quarter tone.
- Some traditional Middle Eastern scales are based on intervals of a quarter tone.
Advanced Usage
- "Quarter-tone music": Music that systematically uses quarter tones as part of its harmonic or melodic language.
- The 20th-century composer explored quarter-tone music to expand harmonic possibilities.
Variants and Related Words
Quarter-tone (adj): Used as a modifier to describe instruments, scales, or music employing these intervals.
- The pianist had a special quarter-tone piano for the performance.
Microtone (n): A general term for any musical interval smaller than a semitone, which includes but is not limited to quarter tones.
Synonyms
- Half-semitone: A direct descriptive synonym for a quarter tone.
Related Terms
- Semitone (n): The standard smallest interval in Western music, equal to two quarter tones.
- Cent (n): A unit of measure for musical intervals; one semitone equals 100 cents, so a quarter tone equals 50 cents.
Noun
-
half of a semitone
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