← 36edo 37edo 38edo →
Prime factorization 37 (prime)
Step size 32.4324 ¢ 
Fifth 22\37 (713.514 ¢)
Semitones (A1:m2) 6:1 (194.6 ¢ : 32.43 ¢)
Dual sharp fifth 22\37 (713.514 ¢)
Dual flat fifth 21\37 (681.081 ¢)
Dual major 2nd 6\37 (194.595 ¢)
Consistency limit 7
Distinct consistency limit 7

The 37 equal divisions of the octave (37edo), or the 37(-tone) equal temperament (37tet, 37et) when viewed from a regular temperament perspective, is the tuning system derived from dividing the octave into 37 equal steps.

Theory

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As a no-3s tuning, it is the 10th zeta peak edo. Using its best (and sharp) fifth, 37edo tempers out 250/243, making it a variant of porcupine temperament. It is the optimal patent val for porcupinefish, which is about as accurate as 13-limit porcupine extensions will be. Using its alternative flat fifth, it tempers out 16875/16384, making it a negri tuning. It also tempers out 2187/2000, resulting in a temperament where three minor whole tones make up a fifth (gorgo/laconic).

37edo is also a very accurate equal tuning for undecimation temperament, which has a generator of about 519 cents; 2 generators lead to 29/16; 3 generators to 32/13; 6 generators to a 10 cent sharp 6/1; 8 generators to a very accurate 11/1 and 10 generators to 20/1. It has a 7L 2s nonatonic MOS, which in 37edo scale degrees is 0, 1, 6, 11, 16, 17, 22, 27, 32, a scale structure reminiscent of mavila; as well as a 16 note MOS.

37edo is the 12th prime EDO, following 31edo and coming before 41edo.

Subgroups

37edo offers close approximations to harmonics 5, 7, 11, and 13, and a usable approximation of 9 as well.

  • 12\37 = 389.2 cents
  • 30\37 = 973.0 cents
  • 17\37 = 551.4 cents
  • 26\37 = 843.2 cents
  • [6\37 = 194.6 cents]

This means 37 is quite accurate on the 2.5.7.11.13 subgroup, where it shares the same tuning as 111edo. In fact, on the larger 3*37 subgroup 2.27.5.7.11.13.51.57 subgroup not only shares the same tuning as 19-limit 111edo, it tempers out the same commas. A simpler but less accurate approach is to use the 2*37-subgroup, 2.9.7.11.13.17.19, on which it has the same tuning and commas as 74edo.

Dual fifths

The just perfect fifth of frequency ratio 3:2 is not well-approximated, and falls between two intervals in 37edo:

The flat fifth is 21\37 = 681.1 cents (37b val)

The sharp fifth is 22\37 = 713.5 cents

21\37 generates an anti-diatonic, or mavila, scale: 5 5 6 5 5 5 6

"minor third" = 10\37 = 324.3 cents

"major third" = 11\37 = 356.8 cents

22\37 generates an extreme superpythagorean scale: 7 7 1 7 7 7 1

"minor third" = 8\37 = 259.5 cents

"major third" = 14\37 = 454.1 cents

If the minor third of 259.5 cents is mapped to 7/6, this superpythagorean scale can be thought of as a variant of Biome temperament.

Interestingly, the "major thirds" of both systems are not 12\37 = 389.2¢, the closest approximation to 5/4 available in 37edo.

37edo has great potential as a near-just xenharmonic system, with high-prime chords such as 8:10:11:13:14 with no perfect fifths available for common terrestrial progressions. The 9/8 approximation is usable but introduces error. One may choose to treat either of the intervals close to 3/2 as 3/2, introducing additional approximations with considerable error (see interval table below).

Intervals

Degrees Cents Approximate Ratios
of 2.5.7.11.13.27 subgroup
Additional Ratios of 3
with a sharp 3/2
Additional Ratios of 3
with a flat 3/2
Additional Ratios of 9
with 194.59¢ 9/8
0 0.00 1/1
1 32.43 55/54, 56/55
2 64.86 27/26, 28/27
3 97.30 55/52 16/15
4 129.73 14/13 13/12, 15/14 12/11
5 162.16 11/10 10/9, 12/11 13/12
6 194.59 28/25 9/8, 10/9
7 227.03 8/7 9/8
8 259.46 7/6, 15/13
9 291.89 13/11, 32/27 6/5, 7/6
10 324.32 6/5, 11/9
11 356.76 16/13, 27/22 11/9
12 389.19 5/4
13 421.62 14/11, 32/25 9/7
14 454.05 13/10 9/7
15 486.49 4/3
16 518.92 27/20 4/3
17 551.35 11/8 15/11 18/13
18 583.78 7/5 18/13
19 616.22 10/7 13/9
20 648.65 16/11 22/15 13/9
21 681.08 40/27 3/2
22 713.51 3/2
23 745.95 20/13 14/9
24 778.38 11/7, 25/16 14/9
25 810.81 8/5
26 843.24 13/8, 44/27 18/11
27 875.68 5/3, 18/11
28 908.11 22/13, 27/16 5/3, 12/7
29 940.54 12/7, 26/15
30 972.97 7/4 16/9
31 1005.41 25/14 16/9, 9/5
32 1037.84 20/11 9/5, 11/6
33 1070.27 13/7 24/13, 28/15 11/6
34 1102.70 104/55 15/8
35 1135.14 27/14, 52/27
36 1167.57
37 1200.00 2/1

Notation

Degrees Cents Ups and Downs Notation
0 0.00 Perfect 1sn P1 D
1 32.43 Minor 2nd m2 Eb
2 64.86 Upminor 2nd ^m2 ^Eb
3 97.30 Downmid 2nd v~2 ^^Eb
4 129.73 Mid 2nd ~2 Ed
5 162.16 Upmid 2nd ^~2 vvE
6 194.59 Downmajor 2nd vM2 vE
7 227.03 Major 2nd M2 E
8 259.46 Minor 3rd m3 F
9 291.89 Upminor 3rd ^m3 ^F
10 324.32 Downmid 3rd v~3 ^^F
11 356.76 Mid 3rd ~3 Ft
12 389.19 Upmid 3rd ^~3 vvF#
13 421.62 Downmajor 3rd vM3 vF#
14 454.05 Major 3rd M3 F#
15 486.49 Perfect 4th P4 G
16 518.92 Up 4th, Dim 5th ^4, d5 ^G, Ab
17 551.35 Downmid 4th, Updim 5th v~4, ^d5 ^^G, ^Ab
18 583.78 Mid 4th, Downmid 5th ~4, v~5 Gt, ^^Ab
19 616.22 Mid 5th, Upmid 4th ~5, ^~4 Ad, vvG#
20 648.65 Upmid 5th, Downaug 5th ^~5, vA4 vvA, vG#
21 681.08 Down 5th, Aug 4th v5, A4 vA, G#
22 713.51 Perfect 5th P5 A
23 745.95 Minor 6th m6 Bb
24 778.38 Upminor 6th ^m6 ^Bb
25 810.81 Downmid 6th v~6 ^^Bb
26 843.24 Mid 6th ~6 Bd
27 875.68 Upmid 6th ^~6 vvB
28 908.11 Downmajor 6th vM6 vB
29 940.54 Major 6th M6 B
30 972.97 Minor 7th m7 C
31 1005.41 Upminor 7th ^m7 ^C
32 1037.84 Downmid 7th v~7 ^^C
33 1070.27 Mid 7th ~7 Ct
34 1102.70 Upmid 7th ^~7 vvC#
35 1135.14 Downmajor 7th vM7 vC#
36 1167.57 Major 7th M7 C#
37 1200.00 Perfect 8ve P8 D

Regular temperament properties

Subgroup Comma list Mapping Optimal
8ve stretch (¢)
Tuning error
Absolute (¢) Relative (%)
2.5 [86 -37 [37 86]] -0.619 0.619 1.91
2.5.7 3136/3125, 4194304/4117715 [37 86 104]] -0.905 0.647 2.00
2.5.7.11 176/175, 1375/1372, 65536/65219 [37 86 104 128]] -0.681 0.681 2.10
2.5.7.11.13 176/175, 640/637, 847/845, 1375/1372 [37 86 104 128 137]] -0.692 0.610 1.88
  • 37et is most prominent in the no-3 11-, 13-, 17-, 19- and 23-limit subgroups. The next ETs doing better in these subgroups are 109, 581, 103, 124 and 93, respectively.

Rank-2 temperaments

Generator In patent val In 37b val
1\37
2\37 Sycamore
3\37 Passion
4\37 Twothirdtonic Negri
5\37 Porcupine / porcupinefish
6\37 Didacus / roulette
7\37 Shoe / semaja Shoe / laconic / gorgo
8\37 Semaphore (37bd)
9\37 Gariberttet
10\37 Orgone
11\37 Beatles
12\37 Würschmidt (out-of-tune)
13\37 Skwares (37dd)
14\37 Ammonite
15\37 Ultrapyth
16\37 Undecimation
17\37 Freivald, emka
18\37

Scales

Music

Links