All About the Microtonal Guitar

Microtonal guitar; It is a type of instrument that looks like a fretless guitar, created by adding short and movable frets to the channel under each string on the guitar. However, the difference from the fretless guitar is, of course, that it has frets. With tiny frets placed between two frets; It is possible to play music that is impossible to play with a typical guitar, such as maqam music, Renaissance and Baroque period music. 

Many musicians from all over the world compose with the microtonal guitar and even live concerts. So what are the features of the microtonal guitar? You can continue reading our article to learn more about this guitar type.

Microtonal guitars are guitars designed to play notes that are not in the traditional Western tuning system. Microtonal guitars are guitars that let you move each fret according to your tonal needs. They can be tuned to a variety of different tuning systems, such as just intonation or various historical tunings.

They usually have more frets than a standard guitar, allowing more microtones to be created. In Western music, the octave is divided into 12 equal parts, or semitones, which are the building blocks of Western scales and chords. On the other hand, microtonal music uses intervals smaller than a semitone or divides the octave into a different number of parts. This can give musicians more options when composing and playing music.

About Adjustable Microtonal Guitar

 microtonal guitar

Prof. Dr. Tolgahan Cogulu designed the adjustable microtonal guitar. The reputation of Cogulu, the person who developed the microtonal guitar, rose from Turkey and was heard by all relevant music circles in the world.

With this guitar, which is designed in accordance with polyphony, it is possible to obtain both the sounds of classical western music and all the subtle sounds of Turkish folk and art music.

The construction of the adjustable microtonal guitar is based on three main purposes. These are as follows:

  1. Playing Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, Persian, Indian, Balinese, Chinese, Breton music on the guitar
  2. To be able to play microtonal music in contemporary classical western music
  3. Being able to play tuning systems other than the equal temperament system

Fretless Classical Guitar: Link

Features of The Microtonal Guitar

 microtonal guitar

The microtonal guitar has many features. These features are as follows:

  1. You can play many different types of music with this guitar.
  2. It has a unique melody.
  3. Playing this guitar is different from playing the classical guitar.
  4. Strings can be tuned to the desired microtone.
  5. The microtonal guitar allows you to move all the frets through the channels under the string.

What Makes it So Special

 microtonal guitar

According to the "equal division" system used in classical western music, there are 12 equal pitches between one octave. In other words, there are 12 note intervals from the deep sound of a note to the next sound of the same note. Since the notes mi and si are semitones, they do not have sharps after them in this system.

This system is also the system that creates the music we listen to today. However, eastern music, unlike western music, contains different vocal ranges. In addition to these sounds, Eastern music contains many quarters and coma sounds that are smaller than quarters, namely microtones.

In Classical Turkish Music, a full tone is divided into nine intervals, and in the Hüseyin Sadettin Arel series, which is valid today in the theory of Ottoman Maqam Music, it is divided into 24 intervals. In folk music, the situation becomes interesting. The intervals used in baglama vary from region to region. It is known that Neşet Ertaş increased the number of frets in an octave up to 26 in baglama.

The emergence of such different musical instruments is very important for the development of music. Sometimes it is not possible to find a suitable musical instrument to play some parts. Or some people may not be able to find the musical instrument they love exactly. Musical instruments such as the microtonal guitar can appeal to many more people over time. It can be difficult to discover or develop new musical instruments, especially as the years progress. At this point, supporting the musical instruments developed and being supported by art lovers can greatly contribute to the development of music.

As Sala Muzik, we aim to provide you with the best service. Follow us to learn more about the instrument in the Middle East, view our products, and buy.

Turn your guitar into a microtonal: Link

 


3 comments


  • Veysel Sala

    Yes, you can buy a microtonal fretboard from us. Please send an email to our team; they will help you.
    email address: sales@salamuzik.com


  • John Cadd

    Can you buy the fretboard separately ? With the adjustable frets it would fit on any standard guitar and the tuning would make compensation obsolete . One Kirnberger recording on youtube had a massive positive reaction .


  • joseph Henry
    I want to buy a Sigma D28 type acoustic guitar, 6 string, standard tuning for American music with the microtonal frets permanently and precisely installed, as a complete ready to play guitar., not just a neck. Are these available, where can I get it, and what does it cost? Thank you I normally play a very fine 1981 D28 that has been excellent for newgrass, bluegrass, and swing so ease of bar chords is important.

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