Redefining essence: Tuning and temperament of chinese traditional music

Abstract

Since the 20th century, the circulation of Western music has induced different reactions in the non-Western world. Chinese music reformers saw Western music as scientific and progressive in its use of harmony, technologically advanced instruments, and mathematically rational temperament. Under China’s national music reform, many fretted or fixed-pitch traditional Chinese instruments were modified for equal temperament. The original tunings of Chinese traditional music, which employ microtonal intonations, were disessentialized in favor of equal temperament. However, in the 21st century, more and more Chinese music scholars and musicians have advocated the use of microtonal intonations as an essential attribute of traditional Chinese music.