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Re:Why are D-sharp and E-flat considered to be two different... by nine_k on Sunday August 28, 2022 @03:39AM (#32626533)
Addition: when you choose a tonality in which you write a piece of music, it may define its standard set of flats and sharps, to simplify building chords using uniform rules. Because of this, it is convenient to name the same note using different names, relative to its neighbors.

Expansion: in non-tempered, natural tuning, such as often used when playing a violin, there are differences between some sharps and flats built from different notes, because natural harmonic intervals, based on frequency ratios like 3:2, do not split the frequency range in a completely log-linear way. This is why, say, G# and Ab may be not the same for purposes of pure natural harmony [1].

Equal temperation was invented to overcome this. J.S.Bach wrote a great showcase for it, Woll-Tepmeriertee Klavier, which involves harmonies and chord progressions that are hard or impossible to achieve with natural tuning without producing weird dissonances.

[1]: https://pages.mtu.edu/~suits/WhyG.html

Re:Why are D-sharp and E-flat considered to be two different... by mrob on Sunday August 28, 2022 @03:59AM (#32626608)
It's unknown whether Bach wrote the WTK for equal temperament (the modern standard) or for a well temperament (something that tempers all keys enough to be usable but does not make all keys sound identical).
Re:Why are D-sharp and E-flat considered to be two different... by jakzurr on Sunday August 28, 2022 @04:35AM (#32626765)
Whoa, I didn't know!

Now I'm wondering if I was told wrong 50 years ago, or if this is new research?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Well-Tempered_Clavier#We...

Re:Why are D-sharp and E-flat considered to be two different... by tripa on Sunday August 28, 2022 @08:54AM (#32628048)
50 years ago, unless you were studying at the highest levels of theoretical/historical music research, you'd likely have been taught wrong.

The “Bach standardized the world on 12TET” trope is old and enjoyable enough to make a good story that unspecialized music teachers have parroted along for generations.

We've got better access to information now. I've corrected music teachers on this specific topic in the past. Some gratefully accept. Some pull out the “but the teacher here is me card”, so I'm sure a few more generations are going to be needed.