Pythagorean Scaling
- For the musical (rather than instrumental) scale, see Pythagorean tuning.
Pythagorean scale refers to the relative lengths of strings within an instrument. This kind of scaling dictates that the ratio of string lengths should be equal to the harmonic ratio of their pitches. It is a logarithmic scale which doubles at each octave. This type of scaling was offered under the assumption that by keeping all other factors consistent (esp. string thickness and tension) and changing only length, the sound of the instrument would be homogeneous across its full range.
Because the length of strings increases so quickly in the bass register, it often would produce an instrument of such length as to be impractical. If pythagorean scaling were applied to the stringed instruments, the double bass would be extremely cumbersome. In pianos and harpsichords, generally less tension or thicker strings are used in the lower register to avoid the need for such large dimensions as demanded by a Pythagorean scale.
Read more about this topic: Scale (string Instruments)
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