Table of Comparative Tunings Table of Comparative Tunings Four basic systems of tuning have been applied to bells since the ninth century. The earliest was the Pythagorean , which remained in use until the sixteenth century. Just intonation is still employed in England for church bells heard diatonically, as in change ringing. In this table all intervals are expressed in cents , according to the four historical systems, with some fractions rounded off.
All intervals listed in just intonation are pure.
Major tone or minor tone. There were also various modifications of mean-tone temperament , an indication of the continuing interest by theorists in formulating more satisfactory tunings. The mean-tone interval of the second is a mean between 204 and 182. All intervals are mulitples of the 100-cent semitone.