Why Can a Piano Play in Every Key? The Secret of Equal Temperament | The Classical Music Minute episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 17, 2026 · 1 MIN

Why Can a Piano Play in Every Key? The Secret of Equal Temperament | The Classical Music Minute

from The Classical Music Minute · host Steven Hobé, Composer & Host

Send us Fan MailWhat if making music sound in tune actually requires making it slightly out of tune? Discover the ingenious compromise of equal temperament and how dividing the octave into twelve equal parts allows musicians to play freely in every key—all in just sixty seconds.Love classical music? There's more to discover.If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 17, 2026

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Why Can a Piano Play in Every Key? The Secret of Equal Temperament | The Classical Music Minute

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