Musical question regarding concert pitch/philosophical pitch

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The discussion revolves around the concept of 'philosophical pitch' where C4 is set at 256Hz, and the inquiry is about the difference in cents between this tuning standard and modern concert pitch, which has A4 at 440Hz.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are attempting to understand the concept of "cents" and how it relates to frequency differences. There are questions about the definition of cents and its calculation in relation to musical pitch.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided definitions and explanations regarding the concept of cents and its application in tuning. There is an ongoing exploration of how to calculate the difference in cents between the two pitch standards, with some participants suggesting formulas for this calculation.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of different musical scales, such as the Ottoman scale, which introduces additional complexity with quarter and eighth tones, indicating that the discussion may also touch on broader musical concepts beyond the initial question.

physics_06er
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Hi there

Can someone please help me with this question I have no idea how to work it out...

A tuning called 'philosophical pitch' has C4 (Middle C) at 256Hz. What is the difference in cents between notes at this pitch standard and those in modern concert pitch (A4 at 440Hz)?

Thanks in advance
physics_06er
 
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Difference in "cents"? I have never heard of this. Is that percentage difference in frequency?
 
Chi Meson said:
Difference in "cents"? I have never heard of this. Is that percentage difference in frequency?
A cent is a piano tuning term. It is 1/100th of a semitone or the 1/1200th root of an octave. Since 12 semitones make an octave which is double the base frequency, between A440 Hz and A# = 440*2^(1/12) = 466 Hz there is a difference of 26 Hz = 100 cents. So one cent above A440 would be:

F_0*2^{1/1200} = 440*1.000058 = 440.26 Hz

AM
 
Last edited:
physics_06er said:
Hi there

Can someone please help me with this question I have no idea how to work it out...

A tuning called 'philosophical pitch' has C4 (Middle C) at 256Hz. What is the difference in cents between notes at this pitch standard and those in modern concert pitch (A4 at 440Hz)?

Thanks in advance
physics_06er
Use:

C4*2^{n/1200} = A4

where n is the number of cents.

AM
 
However, Ottoman or Turkish scale is different. it contains quarter and 1/8
tones but Ottoman Music is monophonic.
 

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