Polymicrotonality

Polymicrotonality is the use of multiple tuning systems in the same piece. Ivor Darreg also calls this polysystemic.

Techniques

With equal divisions of the octave (or any other interval) tuning systems, polymicrotonality is achieved via the equal division which is the least common multiple of the two (or more) systems being played. Highly composite edos are rich sources of polysystemicism as they have more divisors than any number before them, and thus provide strong opportunities of using multiple systems in one piece.

Music

Ambient Esoterica

• Poly Temperament Microtonality | 19edo + 29edo + 39edo (2023)
• Polymicrotonality ECHO-Pluck | 7edo + 72edo | Ars Goetia (2024)
• Thoth AstroTarot Wheel of the Year (2025) – 12edo, 4edo, 10edo and 7edo

Amelia Huff / Zhea Erose

• Prayer Room 31edo - 12edo - JI (2019)

Bryan Deister

• "In The Dark" from The Dying Saviour (2019) – Spotify | Bandcamp | YouTube – 23edo, 22edo, 21edo, 20edo, 19edo and 18edo
• pitch drift experiment (27edo transitioning to 19edo) (2025)
• pitch drift 31edo to 44edo (2025)

Matt Pollock

• Moss Studies. Full album using a combination of 31edo guitar and 12edo vibraphone, making for a subset of 372edo.

Carlo Serafini

• Venusian Wedding Band (2014) – play | blog

Chris Vaisvil (site)

• Tuning Survey from July 21 2010
  • The Mouth Opens to Speak – Bill Bremmer Shining Brow tuning and 12edo
  • The Lumma Cryptic – Boethiuss Chromatic
  • immoderate moderations – Gramham Breed blues scale in 22edo plus 12edo
  • untitled 1 – 12edo and 17-limit quasi-meantone in A major
• In Search of Perfect Consonance (2010) – play | blog – Roland GR-20 re-tuned to Arabic 17-note Pythagorean tuning and electric guitar in 12 equal
• Seventeen Years in the Sixties (2011) – play | blog – 17edo guitar, 12edo 5-string bass & drums

Chris Vaisvil and Paul H. Muller

• Santa Barbara Shipwreck (2011) – play | blog – 19edo guitar with 12edo synthesizer

Most music by James Wyness