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PSR-SX900/SX700 Reference Manual
Selecting or Creating a Temperament from the Preset Types (Main Scale)
You can select various scales for playing in custom tunings for specific historical periods or music genres.
1
Select the desired Scale type (temperament).
2
Change the following settings as necessary.
To store the Scale Tune (Main Scale) settings:
If you want to store the Scale Tune (Main Scale) settings, use the Registration Memory. Press the [MEMORY] button
in the REGISTRATION MEMORY section, then checkmark “Scale Tune” and press one of the REGISTRATION
MEMORY [1]–[8] buttons to register the Scale Tune settings.
Type
•
Equal:
The pitch range of each octave is divided equally into twelve parts, with each half-step evenly
spaced in pitch. This is the most commonly used tuning in music today.
•
Pure Major, Pure Minor:
These tunings preserve the pure mathematical intervals of each scale, espe-
cially for triad chords (root, third, fifth). You can hear this best in actual vocal harmonies—such as
choirs and a cappella singing.
•
Pythagorean:
This scale was devised by the famous Greek philosopher and is created from a series of
perfect fifths, which are collapsed into a single octave. The 3rd in this tuning is slightly unstable, but
the 4th and 5th are beautiful and suitable for some leads.
•
Mean-Tone:
This scale was created as an improvement on the Pythagorean scale, by making the major
third interval more “in tune.” It was especially popular from the 16th century to the 18th century.
Handel, among others, used this scale.
•
Werckmeister, Kirnberger:
This composite scale combines the Werckmeister and Kirnberger systems,
which were themselves improvements on the mean-tone and Pythagorean scales. The main feature of
this scale is that each key has its own unique character. The scale was used extensively during the
time of Bach and Beethoven, and even now it is often used when performing period music on the
harpsichord.
•
Arabic1, Arabic2:
Use these tunings when playing Arabic music.
Base Note
Determines the base note for each scale. When the base note is changed, the pitch of the keyboard is
transposed, yet maintains the original pitch relationship between the notes.
Tune
Touch the desired key on the keyboard illustration to be tuned and tune it in cents.
The boxes at the upper and lower side of each key determines whether the tune setting is applied to the
note. You can turn this on/off by touching it when the value is something other than 0.
If you edit this parameter, “(Edited)” is shown at the right of “Type” in step 1.
Bypass
Turning this on disables all the Scale Tune settings temporarily. This lets you hear the sound for compar-
ison purposes.
Parts
Checkmark the part to which the Main Scale setting is applied.
1
2
Parts which the Main Scale set-
ting are applied
In musical terms a “cent” is 1/100th of a semitone. (100 cents equal one semitone.)
NOTE
