Albert Wifstrand <albert at wifstrand dot se>, Andreas Lindström <andlinds at kth dot se>
According to theoretical considerations involving acoustics, mathematics and human perception of sound, the 19-tone equal temperament scale, or 19-TET in short, might be a fascinating alternative to the common 12 tone scale (12-TET). The mathematical properties of 19-TET are examined. We show that instruments and music notation designed for 12-TET can be made to favorably correlate with these items for 19-TET, and how well the intervals of 19-TET approximate just intervals, making 19-TET an eligible alternative to (or even substitute for) 12-TET. 19-TET is also applied in a computer program intended for sequencing of musical pieces, which is used to perform listener tests with musicians and non-musicians alike.
Our study suggests that listeners accustomed to 12-TET can enjoy 19-TET music to some extent, but not as much as 12-TET music. Without the cultural bias, however, it might be the other way around, considering the mathematical properties of 19-TET.