Historical Temperament Resources

This page lists important treatises, books and articles on musical temperaments. Each entry links to a freely accessible digital copy or information page.

• Nicola Vicentino – L’antica musica ridotta alla moderna prattica (1555)
  IMSLP page – Treatise combining music theory with five books of practice and introducing the archicembalo.
• Gioseffo Zarlino – Le istitutioni harmoniche (1558)
  IMSLP page – Key Renaissance treatise codifying music theory and meantone temperament.
• Francisco de Salinas – De musica libri septem (1577)
  IMSLP page – First systematic explanation of meantone temperament by the Spanish theorist.
• Jean Denis – Traité de l’accord de l’épinette (1650)
  IMSLP page – Practical manual for tuning the spinet, harpsichord and organ.
• Marin Mersenne – Harmonie universelle (1636–1637)
  IMSLP page – Encyclopedic work covering music theory, acoustics and instrument construction.
• Athanasius Kircher – Musurgia universalis (1650)
  IMSLP page – Latin treatise on music theory and organology with sections on tuning systems.
• Andreas Werckmeister – Musicalische Temperatur (1686/1691)
  IMSLP page – Short treatise describing circulating temperaments and procedures for tempering fifths.
• Jean‑Philippe Rameau – Traité de l’harmonie réduite à ses principes naturels (1722)
  IMSLP page – Foundational treatise on tonal harmony discussing temperaments.
• Jean‑Philippe Rameau – Code de musique pratique (1760)
  IMSLP page – Practical manual for teaching music with sections on vocal and keyboard exercises.
• Alexander Malcolm – A Treatise of Musick, Speculative, Practical, and Historical (1721)
  Internet Archive – English treatise covering intervals, scales and tuning systems.
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen (1753 & 1762)
  IMSLP page – Two‑part essay on the proper way to play and tune the clavichord and harpsichord.
• Johann Kirnberger – Die Kunst des reinen Satzes in der Musik (1774–1779)
  Internet Archive (Vol. 2) – Two‑volume treatise advocating rational tuning and composition techniques.
• John Farey – On the two systems of musical temperament (1808)
  Philosophical Magazine (PDF) – Article analyzing Stanhope’s temperament and proposing equal temperament.
• Hermann von Helmholtz – On the Sensations of Tone (1863/1875)
  Internet Archive – Classic treatise linking acoustics and perception, discussing equal and just intonation.
• R. H. M. Bosanquet – An Elementary Treatise on Musical Intervals and Temperament (1876)
  IMSLP page – Mathematical analysis of scales and generalized keyboard layouts.
• J. Murray Barbour – Tuning and Temperament: A Historical Survey (1951)
  Internet Archive – Comprehensive survey of tuning systems from antiquity to the twentieth century (requires borrow access).
• Fred Sturm – Owen Jorgensen's "Lost Art of 19th Century Temperament" (2010)
  Read Article – Critical evaluation of Jorgensen's sources and methodology presented at the Colloquium on Tuning Practices Since 1750, Wright State University.

Critical Scholarship and Community Exchange

This section contains critical examinations of temperament scholarship, methodological critiques, and community exchanges that promote rigorous analysis and transparent methodology.

• A Path Forward: Critical Scholarship and Community Exchange
  Read Framework – A synthesis of critical perspectives proposing principles for rigorous temperament scholarship and a framework for community-driven critical exchange.