I’m sure this has been asked before, but I couldn’t find anything online. Are there notes in-between the piano keys? And if so, why are they never used? Do they sound terrible? I’d love it if someone could clear it up. Thanks!
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Western music uses a 12-tone equal temperament system. That means that there are 12 equally-spaced notes to each octave.
The reason this works so well is that humans find simple ratios between 2 notes as more pleasing and consonant if their frequencies are related by simple ratios. For example, an A at 440hz and an E at 660hz give a 3:2 ratio, which we perceive as a perfect fifth. 12-TET happens to give us really good approximations for these ratios, such as 4:3, 5:4, 6:5, and these intervals are what Western music is rooted in.
But you don’t need to pick 12! Why not 19? Or 22? 24? These equal temperament systems also have good approximations for simple ratios. But you also get tons of new, foreign ratios that 12-TET can’t do.
Does it sound bad? Well, go you YouTube and have a listen! They will sound consonant but very alien. Whether you like that feel is a matter of personal opinion.
Tldr – Yes, there are infinite notes between the 12 we use. They can sound good if you divide the octave with consonance in mind.
Edit: At least 1 form of Western music uses one of these in-between notes! Barbershop singing. One also shows up in ‘Happy Birthday to You”, in the ‘many many more’ part at the end (on more).
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