to temper

Examples

• All

• Before playing a piece, it's essential to temper the strings to match the desired tuning of the melody.

• In major chords, for example, the third must be lowered almost 14 cents (half step = 100 cents) on an equal-tempered instrument.

  Academic text (2002)

• To make form V efficiently requires either the addition of seed crystals or a complex series of heating and shear processes that temper chocolate so it will solidify into the correct form.

  Academic text (2011)

• A musical example need not compete with the sonic density of The Well-Tempered Clavier to validate a single principle of harmonic theory.

  Academic text (2010)

• And now she's flipping through the pages of magazines, looking at photographs of the royal family and film stars, listening to Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier".

  The Quiet American (2002)

• Violinists tended to prefer sharper tuning of scales (closer to Pythagorean tuning) compared to pianists who preferred equal-tempered scales.

  Academic text (2015)

• To ensure the piano sounds just right, the technician will temper it by adjusting the pitch carefully.

Synonyms

T

to tune

vsto temper

163 1.8

Adjust an instrument so it plays the correct notes

adjusts pitch to fit a chosen temperament system rather than just correct notes

T

to tune up

vsto temper

1 3.4

To adjust a musical instrument so it plays the correct notes

focuses on matching a temperament system rather than general desired pitch

R

to retune

vsto temper

1 4.5

Adjust a musical instrument so it sounds in tune

does systematic pitch adjustment to fit a specific temperament not just improvement

Antonyms

D

to detune

• Specialized

1 6.6

To change a musical instrument so its pitch is different from normal

Idioms

L

to lose one's temper

2 3.7

To suddenly become very angry and not be able to control yourself

K

to keep one's temper

1 4.4

Stay calm and not get angry in a difficult situation

Compounds

B

bad temper

14 3.4

A habit of getting angry easily and staying in a bad mood

S

short temper

3 4.1

Getting angry or losing patience very quickly

Q

quick temper

2 3.9

To become angry easily or suddenly

G

good temper

1 1.4

Feeling cheerful and pleasant with other people

I

ill temper

1 4.6

A bad mood that makes someone easily angry

C

combustious temper

• Archaic

8.9

A tendency to get angry very quickly

How Tuned

to temper

• Specialized

1 8.3

to tune

163 1.8

Surface Forms

Etymology