Is a quarter tone the same as being out of tune?

No. Being 'out of tune' implies an error or deviation from an intended standard pitch. A quarter tone is a deliberate, specific microtonal interval used as part of a musical system or composition.

Can you hear a quarter tone?

Yes, trained musicians and listeners familiar with microtonal music can discern quarter tones. To an untrained ear, it might simply sound 'off' or subtly different.

Which instruments can play quarter tones?

Many can, with technique: unfretted strings (violin, cello), trombone, human voice, and woodwinds (through fingering or embouchure). Special pianos or synthesizers can be tuned to include them. Standard fretted guitars and pianos cannot without modification.

Where are quarter tones commonly used?

They are fundamental to the melodic systems (maqamat) of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish music. They are also used in some Indian ragas and in 20th/21st-century Western art music exploring microtonality.

quarter tone

UK/ˌkwɔːtə ˈtəʊn/US/ˌkwɔːrtər ˈtoʊn/

Technical / Specialised

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

A musical interval equal to half a semitone, or one quarter of a whole tone.

In music theory, a microtonal interval used in some non-Western musical systems and contemporary Western compositions. It can also refer to the pitch difference produced by a specific technique on certain instruments, like bending a guitar string slightly.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

The term is almost exclusively used in musical contexts. It denotes a precise, measurable interval, not a vague description of being slightly out of tune.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant lexical or definitional differences. Spelling remains the same.

Connotations

Identical technical connotations in both varieties.

Frequency

Equally low-frequency and specialised in both UK and US English, confined to music theory, ethnomusicology, and performance practice.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

play a quarter toneuse quarter tonesquarter tone musicquarter tone flatquarter tone sharp

medium

microtonal system of quarter tonestune to a quarter toneinterval of a quarter tone

weak

subtle quarter tonecomplex quarter tonetraditional quarter tone

Grammar

Valency Patterns

The composer [verb: incorporated, used, wrote] quarter tones.The note was [verb: bent, adjusted] by a quarter tone.It's a piece [preposition: for] quarter-tone piano.

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

half a semitone

Neutral

microtone (broader category)

Weak

small intervalmicrotonal shift

Vocabulary

Antonyms

whole tonesemitone (in some contexts)standard interval

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“[No common idioms for this technical term]”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Not used.

Academic

Used in musicology, ethnomusicology, and music theory papers to describe specific tuning systems or compositional techniques.

Everyday

Virtually never used in everyday conversation.

Technical

The primary context. Used by composers, musicians (especially of certain traditions like Arabic or Persian music), instrument makers, and audio engineers working with microtonal music.

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

The violinist can quarter-tone that passage with remarkable accuracy.
Composers in the early 20th century began to quarter-tone more frequently.

American English

To get the right maqam, you need to quarter-tone the third scale degree.
The software allows you to quarter-tone any MIDI note.

Examples

By CEFR Level

[This term is far above A2 level. No appropriate example.]

[This term is far above B1 level. No appropriate example.]

Some types of world music use notes that are between the keys on a piano; these are called quarter tones.
The guitarist bent the string to play a quarter tone.

The contemporary piece required the pianist to retune several strings to achieve the necessary quarter-tone intervals.
Analysing the maqam revealed a consistent use of a quarter tone between the second and third degrees.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of a 'quarter' as 25 cents or 1/4. A 'quarter tone' is one quarter of the distance between two piano keys that are a whole tone apart (e.g., C to D).

Conceptual Metaphor

PITCH IS SPACE / DISTANCE. A quarter tone is a 'small distance' or 'step' between notes.

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Avoid a direct calque like *'четверть тона'* unless in a verified musical context; while it exists, the more common Russian term in music theory is 'четвертьтон' or the description 'четверть тона'.
Do not confuse with 'quarter note' (четвертная нота), which is a duration, not a pitch.

Common Mistakes

Using 'quarter tone' to describe simply being out of tune rather than a deliberate, specific interval.
Pronouncing it as 'quarter tone' with equal stress; primary stress is usually on 'quarter' (QUAR-ter tone).
Confusing it with 'quarter note' (crotchet).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

In traditional Arabic music, the 'neutral third' is often approximated by a pitch that is a above the root.

Multiple Choice

What is a 'quarter tone' in music?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: No. Being 'out of tune' implies an error or deviation from an intended standard pitch. A quarter tone is a deliberate, specific microtonal interval used as part of a musical system or composition.
: Yes, trained musicians and listeners familiar with microtonal music can discern quarter tones. To an untrained ear, it might simply sound 'off' or subtly different.
: Many can, with technique: unfretted strings (violin, cello), trombone, human voice, and woodwinds (through fingering or embouchure). Special pianos or synthesizers can be tuned to include them. Standard fretted guitars and pianos cannot without modification.
: They are fundamental to the melodic systems (maqamat) of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish music. They are also used in some Indian ragas and in 20th/21st-century Western art music exploring microtonality.