mr. beardsley can likely explain this to shreds. but here're the parts that
strike me as most signficant:
1. a scale in just intonation, as david said, derives its notes from the
harmonic overtones series. hence the argument by harry partch and others
that it is "purer" than equal temperment because JI uses notes as they
occur in nature, while ET is a manmade scale.
2. again, to say it just a bit differently than david, a scale in just
intonation generally finds a different sized interval between each
successive note. that's why modulation is more difficult and that's the
problem that was addressed by equal temperment -- or "well tempered" as
they described that famous klavier. in equal temperment, the interval of a
half step between each successive note is exactly the same.
martin
