4/3: Difference between revisions

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'''4/3''' is the [[frequency ratio]] of the '''just perfect fourth''', which is easily one of the more heavily discussed intervals outside of xenharmony- in fact, some of these usages have gone on to inspire other music theories within xenharmonic contexts, such as certain ideas about [[tetrachord]]s. As its inversion is the perfect fifth, [[3/2]], 4/3 is the [[octave reduced]] form of the third [[subharmonic]]. In the [[Wikipedia: Medieval music #Early polyphony: organum|florid organum]] of Medieval music, 4/3 was reliably considered a consonance, and indeed was frequently emphasized.  Once major thirds with a tuning approximating [[5/4]] began to be treated as consonances, however, the perception of 4/3 was altered to where it was at times considered a dissonance.  However, as of late, the perfect fourth is once again being reevaluated as a consonance.
'''4/3''' is the [[frequency ratio]] of the '''just perfect fourth''', which is easily one of the more heavily discussed intervals outside of xenharmony- in fact, some of these usages have gone on to inspire other music theories within xenharmonic contexts, such as certain ideas about [[tetrachord]]s. As its inversion is the perfect fifth, [[3/2]], 4/3 is the [[octave reduced]] form of the third [[subharmonic]]. In the [[Wikipedia: Medieval music #Early polyphony: organum|florid organum]] of Medieval music, 4/3 was reliably considered a consonance, and indeed was frequently emphasized.  Once major thirds with a tuning approximating [[5/4]] began to be treated as consonances, however, the perception of 4/3 was altered to where it was at times considered a dissonance.  However, as of late, the perfect fourth is once again being reevaluated as a consonance.


Much like 3/2, 4/3 is valuable as a framework for constructing chords.  However, while 3/2 provides the framework for [[5-limit]] triads involving intervals like 5/4 and [[6/5]], 4/3 provides a possible framework for [[7-limit]] triads involving intervals like [[7/6]] and [[8/7]], though such triads are ambisonances at best.  Because up to two instances of 4/3 can fit within the span of an octave, it is very easy to create xenharmonic chords using 4/3 as a framework, though because [[16/9]] clashes with the [[octave]] through crowding, these types of chords are dissonances.  Regardless, the usage of 4/3 as a framework for chords is intimately connected with the use of [[tritave]]s in the same capacity- at least in [[octave-equivalent]] systems.
Much like 3/2, 4/3 is valuable as a framework for constructing chords.  However, while 3/2 provides the framework for [[5-limit]] triads involving intervals like 5/4 and [[6/5]], 4/3 provides a possible framework for [[7-limit]] triads involving intervals like [[7/6]] and [[8/7]], though such triads are ambisonances at best.  Because up to two instances of 4/3 can fit within the span of an octave, it is very easy to create xenharmonic chords using 4/3 as a framework, though because [[16/9]] clashes with the [[octave]] through crowding, these types of chords are dissonances.  Regardless, the usage of 4/3 as a framework for chords is intimately connected with the use of [[tritave]]s in the same capacity- at least in [[Octave #Octave equivalence|octave-equivalent]] systems.


== Approximations by EDOs ==
== Approximations by EDOs ==

Revision as of 13:58, 24 December 2024

Interval information
Ratio 4/3
Factorization 22 × 3-1
Monzo [2 -1⟩
Size in cents 498.045 ¢
Name just perfect fourth
Color name w4, wa 4th
FJS name [math]\displaystyle{ \text{P4} }[/math]
Special properties square superparticular,
reduced,
reduced subharmonic
Tenney norm (log2 nd) 3.58496
Weil norm (log2 max(n, d)) 4
Wilson norm (sopfr(nd)) 7

[sound info]
Open this interval in xen-calc
English Wikipedia has an article on:

4/3 is the frequency ratio of the just perfect fourth, which is easily one of the more heavily discussed intervals outside of xenharmony- in fact, some of these usages have gone on to inspire other music theories within xenharmonic contexts, such as certain ideas about tetrachords. As its inversion is the perfect fifth, 3/2, 4/3 is the octave reduced form of the third subharmonic. In the florid organum of Medieval music, 4/3 was reliably considered a consonance, and indeed was frequently emphasized. Once major thirds with a tuning approximating 5/4 began to be treated as consonances, however, the perception of 4/3 was altered to where it was at times considered a dissonance. However, as of late, the perfect fourth is once again being reevaluated as a consonance.

Much like 3/2, 4/3 is valuable as a framework for constructing chords. However, while 3/2 provides the framework for 5-limit triads involving intervals like 5/4 and 6/5, 4/3 provides a possible framework for 7-limit triads involving intervals like 7/6 and 8/7, though such triads are ambisonances at best. Because up to two instances of 4/3 can fit within the span of an octave, it is very easy to create xenharmonic chords using 4/3 as a framework, though because 16/9 clashes with the octave through crowding, these types of chords are dissonances. Regardless, the usage of 4/3 as a framework for chords is intimately connected with the use of tritaves in the same capacity- at least in octave-equivalent systems.

Approximations by EDOs

The following EDOs (up to 200) contain good approximations[1] of the interval 4/3. Errors are given by magnitude, the arrows in the table show if the EDO representation is sharp (↑) or flat (↓).

EDO deg\edo Absolute
error (¢)
Relative
error (r¢)
↕ Equally acceptable multiples [2]
12 5\12 1.9550 1.9550 ↑ 10\24, 15\36
17 7\17 3.9274 5.5637 ↓
29 12\29 1.4933 3.6087 ↓
41 17\41 0.4840 1.6537 ↓ 34\82, 51\123, 68\164
53 22\53 0.0682 0.3013 ↑ 44\106, 66\159
65 27\65 0.4165 2.2563 ↑ 54\130, 81\195
70 29\70 0.9021 5.2625 ↓
77 32\77 0.6563 4.2113 ↑
89 37\89 0.8314 6.1663 ↑
94 39\94 0.1727 1.3525 ↓ 78\188
111 46\111 0.7477 6.9162 ↓
118 49\118 0.2601 2.5575 ↑
135 56\135 0.2672 3.0062 ↓
142 59\142 0.5466 6.4675 ↑
147 61\147 0.0858 1.0512 ↓
171 71\171 0.2006 2.8588 ↑
176 73\176 0.3177 4.6600 ↓
183 76\183 0.3157 4.8138 ↑
200 83\200 0.0450 0.7500 ↓
  1. ↑ error magnitude below 7, both, absolute (in ¢) and relative (in r¢)
  2. ↑ Super EDOs up to 200 within the same error tolerance

See also