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Tag Archives: Pythagoras

Why can’t you tune your guitar?

Short answer: because math. Longer answer: because prime numbers don’t divide into each other evenly. To understand what follows, you need to know some facts about the physics of vibrating strings: When you pluck a guitar string, it vibrates to and fro. You can tell how fast the string is vibrating by listening to the …

Continue reading “Why can’t you tune your guitar?”

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Posted byEthanMay 27, 2019February 27, 2026Posted inMath, Music, Music Theory, PhysicsTags: harmony, Harry Partch, math, music theory, physics, Pythagoras, temperament, tuning17 Comments on Why can’t you tune your guitar?
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