Preference for musical tuning systems : how cognitive anatomy interacts with cultural shaping

Kurzfassung/Abstract

Previous studies testing the production and evaluation of musical scales revealed a preference for Pythagorean intonation among violinists whereas pianists preferred equal temperament, with non-musicians showing no clear preferences. This study investigates preferences for four musical tuning systems using chord sequences and excerpts from musical compositions performed in different instrumental timbres. Forty participants (string players, pianists, non-musicians) made forced-choice
preference judgments between pairs of tunings, as well as judgments of purity and sound brilliance. Results show that when using real music and instrumental sounds, the preferences for tuning systems vary not only between groups of participants but also between types of music and timbres. A general preference for a single tuning system therefore seems to be an over-simplified assumption.