Microtonal Music

Microtonal music, which first gained traction in the early 20th century, is a delightful rebellion against the standard Western tuning system, putting an end to the tyranny of twelve notes, much to the chagrin of music teachers everywhere. It thrives on the use of microtones, those sneaky little intervals smaller than a semitone that can make a piece sound either ethereal or just a tad confused, depending on your listening mood. Fans may argue endlessly over who pushed the genre forward, but they all silently agree that if it doesn’t make you slightly raise an eyebrow, it’s probably not microtonal enough.