# Microtonal Music Misconceptions Explained

> Why microtonal music isn't out-of-tune guitars or a fad
- Title: Microtonal Music Misconceptions Explained · Guitar World
- Summary: Why microtonal music isn't out-of-tune guitars or a fad Microtonal music uses precise intervals beyond standard tuning, not faulty instruments
- Keywords: microtonal, guitar, just intonation, quartertone, math rock, angine de poitrine, king gizzard, tungahan cedilu, istambul technical university, 24-tone equal temperament, Music, Misconceptions
- Source: Guitar World — https://guitarworld.com/lessons/techniques/what-people-get-wrong-about-microtonal-music
- Published: 2026-09-26T18:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: microtonal, guitar, just intonation, quartertone, math rock, angine de poitrine, king gizzard, tungahan cedilu, istambul technical university, 24-tone equal temperament
## Microtonal myth
People think microtonal guitars are out-of-tune, but they use precise intervals beyond standard tuning.

> The most common one is that a microtonal guitar is an out-of-tune guitar
## Microtones vs. quartertones
A microtone is a small interval, not a quartertone, which is 100 equal parts of a semitone.

> A semitone is divided into 100 equal units, and Alexander John Ellis named each of the pieces a cent in the 19th century
## Microtonal history
Microtonal music dates back to ancient China and Greece, with roots in 2600 BCE bamboo pipes and 5th century BCE monochords.

> Ling Lun cut a series of bamboo pipes of different lengths and generated a sequence of pitches through successive perfect fifths
## Modern microtonal guitar
The first microtonal guitar arrived in 1829, with movable frets developed in Paris around 1845.

> This was followed by the first movable-fret guitar, developed in Paris by luthier René Lacôte around 1845
## Why microtonal is trending
Bands like King Gizzard and Angine de Poitrine are popularizing microtonal music in rock and modern genres.

> It's exciting to see a major revival thanks, in part, to bands such as King Gizzard and Angine de Poitrine
## Microtonal players
Over 20 artists are active in microtonal music, including Angine de Poitrine and King Gizzard.

> Angine De Poitrine, their combination of math rock and 24-tone equal temperament is particularly refreshing
## Microtonal future
Microtonal music is becoming more integrated into global music as instruments and education grow.

> For a long time, the main problem was not a lack of ideas, it was a lack of instruments, repertoire, performers and education
## Microtonal education
Istanbul Technical University has a microtonal guitar department since 2014, teaching the music system.

> The world's first microtonal guitar department, opened in 2014 at Istanbul Technical University
## Microtonal community
A global community of musicians is creating new microtonal works and sharing techniques across cultures.

> These are all styles that developed their own pitch systems and melodic practices outside 12-tone equal temperament over centuries
## Key takeaway

Microtonal music uses precise intervals beyond standard tuning, not faulty instruments