''Shi'er lü'' ( zh, c=, p=shí'èr lǜ, w=shih2-êrh4 lü4, l=12 pitches; ) is a standardized

gamut In color reproduction and colorimetry, a gamut, or color gamut , is a convex set containing the colors that can be accurately represented, i.e. reproduced by an output device (e.g. printer or display) or measured by an input device (e.g. cam ...

of twelve notes used in ancient

Chinese music The music of China consists of many distinct traditions, often specifically originating with one of the country's various ethnic groups. It is produced within and without the country, involving either people of Chinese origin, the use of tradit ...

. It is also known, rather misleadingly, as the Chinese chromatic scale; it was only one kind of

chromatic scale The chromatic scale (or twelve-tone scale) is a set of twelve pitches (more completely, pitch classes) used in tonal music, with notes separated by the interval of a semitone. Chromatic instruments, such as the piano, are made to produce the ...

used in ancient Chinese music. The ''shi'er lü'' uses the same intervals as the Pythagorean scale, based on 3:2 ratios (8:9, 16:27, 64:81, etc.). The gamut or its subsets were used for tuning and are preserved in bells and

pipes Pipe(s), PIPE(S) or piping may refer to: Objects * Pipe (fluid conveyance), a hollow cylinder following certain dimension rules ** Piping, the use of pipes in industry * Smoking pipe ** Tobacco pipe * Half-pipe and quarter pipe, semi-circu ...

. Unlike the Western

, the ''shi'er lü'' was not used as a scale in its own right; it is rather a set of fundamental notes on which other scales were constructed.Needham, Joseph (1962/2004). ''Science and Civilization in China, Vol. IV: Physics and Physical Technology'', p.170-171. . The first reference to "standardization of bells and pitch" dates back to around 600 BCE, while the first description of the generation of pitches dates back to around 240 CE.

Note names

* 黃鐘 (黄钟) - Huáng Zhōng - tonic/

unison Unison (stylised as UNISON) is a Great Britain, British trade union. Along with Unite the Union, Unite, Unison is one of the two largest trade unions in the United Kingdom, with over 1.2 million members who work predominantly in public servic ...

- 1 : 1 - * 大呂 (大吕) - Dà Lǚ -

semitone A semitone, also called a minor second, half step, or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between ...

- 3⁷ : 2¹¹ - * 太簇 - Tài Cù -

major second In Western music theory, a major second (sometimes also called whole tone or a whole step) is a second spanning two semitones (). A second is a musical interval encompassing two adjacent staff positions (see Interval number for more de ...

- 3² : 2³ - * 夾鐘 (夹钟) - Jiá Zhōng -

minor third In music theory, a minor third is a interval (music), musical interval that encompasses three half steps, or semitones. Staff notation represents the minor third as encompassing three staff positions (see: interval (music)#Number, interval numb ...

- 3⁹ : 2¹⁴ - * 姑洗 - Gū Xǐ -

major third In music theory, a third is a Interval (music), musical interval encompassing three staff positions (see Interval (music)#Number, Interval number for more details), and the major third () is a third spanning four Semitone, half steps or two ...

- 3⁴ : 2⁶ - * 仲呂 (中吕) - Zhòng Lǚ -

perfect fourth A fourth is a interval (music), musical interval encompassing four staff positions in the music notation of Western culture, and a perfect fourth () is the fourth spanning five semitones (half steps, or half tones). For example, the ascending int ...

- 3¹¹ : 2¹⁷ - * 蕤賓 (蕤宾) - Ruí Bīn -

tritone In music theory, the tritone is defined as a interval (music), musical interval spanning three adjacent Major second, whole tones (six semitones). For instance, the interval from F up to the B above it (in short, F–B) is a tritone as it can be ...

- 3⁶ : 2⁹ - * 林鐘 (林钟) - Lín Zhōng -

perfect fifth In music theory, a perfect fifth is the Interval (music), musical interval corresponding to a pair of pitch (music), pitches with a frequency ratio of 3:2, or very nearly so. In classical music from Western culture, a fifth is the interval f ...

- 3 : 2 - * 夷則 (夷则) - Yí Zé -

minor sixth In music theory, a minor sixth is a musical interval encompassing six staff positions (see Interval number for more details), and is one of two commonly occurring sixths (the other one being the major sixth). It is qualified as ''minor'' bec ...

- 3⁸ : 2¹² - * 南呂 (南吕) - Nán Lǚ -

major sixth In music theory, a sixth is a musical interval encompassing six note letter names or staff positions (see Interval number for more details), and the major sixth is one of two commonly occurring sixths. It is qualified as ''major'' because it ...

- 3³ : 2⁴ - * 無射 (无射) - Wú Yì -

minor seventh In music theory, a minor seventh is one of two musical intervals that span seven staff positions. It is ''minor'' because it is the smaller of the two sevenths, spanning ten semitones. The major seventh spans eleven. For example, the interval ...

- 3¹⁰ : 2¹⁵ - * 應鐘 (应钟) - Yìng Zhōng -

major seventh In music from Western culture, a seventh is a interval (music), musical interval encompassing seven staff positions (see Interval (music)#Number, Interval number for more details), and the major seventh is one of two commonly occurring sevenths. ...

- 3⁵ : 2⁷ - There were 12 notes in total, which fall within the scope of one

octave In music, an octave (: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is an interval between two notes, one having twice the frequency of vibration of the other. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referr ...

. Note that the mathematical method used by the ancient Chinese could never produce a true octave, as the next higher frequency in the series of frequencies produced by the Chinese system would be higher than 880 hertz. See the article by Chen Ying-shi.一种体系两个系统 by 陈应时 (Yi zhong ti-xi, liang ge xi-tong by Chen Ying-shi of the Shanghai Conservatory), ''Musicology in China,'' 2002, Issue 4, 中国音乐学，2002，第四期

Sources

External links

*Graham Pont
"Philosophy and Science of Music in Ancient Greece: The Predecessors of Pythagoras and their Contribution"
''Nexus Network Journal''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Shi'er lü 3-limit tuning and intervals Music of China Chromaticism Musical scales

Note names

See also

Further reading

Sources

External links