Microtone
- This page is about microtonal intervals. For the interval size measure, see Microtone (interval size measure).
A microtone is any interval between two musical sounds that cannot be represented by a whole number of semitones.
Microtonal music, in a broad sense, is any music composed and performed with any musical intervals outside of the set of those generally accepted in western music traditions. A microtonal interval, in generally speech, refers to such an interval, which cannot be broken down into standard western theoretical semitones. In more specific contexts, the meaning of this term might evaporate into that which is vaguely supported by other more specific or technical terms. Some music theorists with experience in xenharmonic music might tend to think of microtones as intervals smaller than semitones and therefore use a juxtaposed term, such as "macrotone" to describe an interval larger than a semitone but also not a whole number of semitones. Other music theorists within this field of study may avoid this distinction or avoid using the term to describe the field itself or the music or ideas used to compose the music therein.