Beats
Two notes in a pure ratio lock together, and drawn against each other they trace a still figure. Tune them a few cents apart and the figure rolls, and you hear it too: the pulsing, or beating, that piano tuners count to set a temperament.
Connect the minichord, or try the test chords below.
Play a chord
Every pair in the chord
| Notes | Interval | Pure ratio | Off pure | Beats a second |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play a chord to fill this in. Choose a row to draw that pair. | ||||
This pair in every temperament
Choose a temperament to see its effect. With the minichord connected, it switches too.
Test chords
These draw without a minichord, tuned in the temperament you choose. In equal temperament the major third beats about ten times a second at middle C; in meantone it's nearly still.
Reading the figure
The low note moves the trace across, the high note up and down. A 3:2 fifth makes a figure with three loops one way and two the other; 5:4 makes five and four. The rolling you see is the beating you hear: one full roll for every few beats, slowed down here so the eye can follow.