The tuning or temperament of a scale is the way the frequencies of the notes are chosen. In Western music the equal temperament is most popular. Other temperaments are for example: the just intonation, the Pythagorean tuning, the mean tone temperament, the well temperament and the 31 equal temperament.

An octave is divided into 12 'proportionally increasing' distances. The ratio of the frequencies of two successive semitones is always the same (approximately 1.0594631). Because of this, all intervals (second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh), except the octave, deviate from the just tuning. They cause beating. All equally named intervals sound equally false (they beat). The advantage of this tuning is that it remains the same when switched to another tone type (a number of semitones higher or lower), and it is therefore not needed to tune the instrument differently.

Below an overview is given of the intervals and the differences of the equal and the just temperament. The just temperament is the way to construct a scale where the frequency ratios are simple integers. This produces music which is experienced as pure (not false).

Interval	Equal	Just		∆
Unison	1.000	1.000	1/1	0.0%
Minor second	1.059	1.067	16/15	-0.7%
Major second	1.122	1.125	9/8	-0.2%
Minor third	1.189	1.200	6/5	-0.9%
Major third	1.260	1.250	5/4	+0.8%
Fourth	1.335	1.333	4/3	+0.1%
Augmented fourth	1.414	1.400	7/5	+1.0%
Fifth	1.498	1.500	3/2	-0.1%
Minor sixth	1.587	1.600	8/5	-0.8%
Major sixth	1.682	1.667	5/3	+0.9%
Minor seventh	1.782	1.778	16/9	+0.2%
Major seventh	1.888	1.875	15/8	+0.7%
Octave	2.000	2.000	2/1	0.0%

#	Tone	Octave	Frequency (Hz)
1	C	0	16.3516
2	C#	0	17.3239
3	D	0	18.3540
4	D#	0	19.4454
5	E	0	20.6017
6	F	0	21.8268
7	F#	0	23.1247
8	G	0	24.4997
9	G#	0	25.9565
10	A	0	27.5000
11	A#	0	29.1352
12	B	0	30.8677

#	Tone	Octave	Frequency (Hz)
13	C	1	32.7032
14	C#	1	34.6478
15	D	1	36.7081
16	D#	1	38.8909
17	E	1	41.2034
18	F	1	43.6535
19	F#	1	46.2493
20	G	1	48.9994
21	G#	1	51.9131
22	A	1	55.0000
23	A#	1	58.2705
24	B	1	61.7354

#	Tone	Octave	Frequency (Hz)
25	C	2	65.4064
26	C#	2	69.2957
27	D	2	73.4162
28	D#	2	77.7817
29	E	2	82.4069
30	F	2	87.3071
31	F#	2	92.4986
32	G	2	97.9989
33	G#	2	103.8262
34	A	2	110.0000
35	A#	2	116.5409
36	B	2	123.4708

#	Tone	Octave	Frequency (Hz)
37	C	3	130.8128
38	C#	3	138.5913
39	D	3	146.8324
40	D#	3	155.5635
41	E	3	164.8138
42	F	3	174.6141
43	F#	3	184.9972
44	G	3	195.9977
45	G#	3	207.6523
46	A	3	220.0000
47	A#	3	233.0819
48	B	3	246.9417

#	Tone	Octave	Frequency (Hz)
49	C	4	261.6256
50	C#	4	277.1826
51	D	4	293.6648
52	D#	4	311.1270
53	E	4	329.6276
54	F	4	349.2282
55	F#	4	369.9944
56	G	4	391.9954
57	G#	4	415.3047
58	A	4	440.0000
59	A#	4	466.1638
60	B	4	493.8833

#	Tone	Octave	Frequency (Hz)
61	C	5	523.2511
62	C#	5	554.3653
63	D	5	587.3295
64	D#	5	622.2540
65	E	5	659.2551
66	F	5	698.4565
67	F#	5	739.9888
68	G	5	783.9909
69	G#	5	830.6094
70	A	5	880.0000
71	A#	5	932.3275
72	B	5	987.7666

#	Tone	Octave	Frequency (Hz)
73	C	6	1,046.5023
74	C#	6	1,108.7305
75	D	6	1,174.6591
76	D#	6	1,244.5079
77	E	6	1,318.5102
78	F	6	1,396.9129
79	F#	6	1,479.9777
80	G	6	1,567.9817
81	G#	6	1,661.2188
82	A	6	1,760.0000
83	A#	6	1,864.6550
84	B	6	1,975.5332

#	Tone	Octave	Frequency (Hz)
85	C	7	2,093.0045
86	C#	7	2,217.4610
87	D	7	2,349.3181
88	D#	7	2,489.0159
89	E	7	2,637.0205
90	F	7	2,793.8259
91	F#	7	2,959.9554
92	G	7	3,135.9635
93	G#	7	3,322.4376
94	A	7	3,520.0000
95	A#	7	3,729.3101
96	B	7	3,951.0664

#	Tone	Octave	Frequency (Hz)
97	C	8	4,186.0090
98	C#	8	4,434.9221
99	D	8	4,698.6363
100	D#	8	4,978.0317
101	E	8	5,274.0409
102	F	8	5,587.6517
103	F#	8	5,919.9108
104	G	8	6,271.9270
105	G#	8	6,644.8752
106	A	8	7,040.0000
107	A#	8	7,458.6202
108	B	8	7,902.1328

#	Tone	Octave	Frequency (Hz)
109	C	9	8,372.0181
110	C#	9	8,869.8442
111	D	9	9,397.2726
112	D#	9	9,956.0635
113	E	9	10,548.0818
114	F	9	11,175.3034
115	F#	9	11,839.8215
116	G	9	12,543.8540
117	G#	9	13,289.7503
118	A	9	14,080.0000
119	A#	9	14,917.2404
120	B	9	15,804.2656