The Philolaus Scale

The Philolaus scale is a musical scale that was developed by the Greek philosopher Philolaus. The Philolaus scale is based on the ratios of 9:8 for a whole note and 256/243 for a semitone. This scale is different from the modern 12-tone equal temperament (12ET) scale, which uses 12 equally sized semitones.

Questions

• What are the ratios of the Philolaus scale?
• How does the Philolaus scale differ from the 12ET scale?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Philolaus scale?

Answers

• The ratios of the Philolaus scale are 9:8 for a whole note and 256/243 for a semitone.
• The Philolaus scale differs from the 12ET scale in that it does not have 12 equally sized semitones. This means that the intervals between notes in the Philolaus scale are not all the same.
• The advantages of the Philolaus scale include its mathematical precision and its use of simple ratios. The disadvantages of the Philolaus scale include its lack of uniformity and its difficulty to play on some instruments.