ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Septimal semicomma

When we listen to music, we hear different tones, or frequencies, that make up the notes we hear. These tones can be divided into smaller units called intervals. One example of an interval is a semitone, which is the distance between two adjacent keys on a piano.

However, there are other intervals that exist that are not commonly used in Western music. One of these intervals is called the septimal semicomma.

To understand what the septimal semicomma is, imagine you have a guitar string. When you pluck this string, it vibrates at a certain frequency, producing a certain tone. Now, if you press down on the string at a certain point, you change its length and therefore change its frequency. This produces a different tone, or pitch.

The septimal semicomma is a very small interval that exists between two pitches that are related to each other in a certain way. Specifically, it is the difference between two frequencies that are in the ratio of 7:6.

This might be a bit confusing, so let's break it down. Imagine you have two guitar strings. One of them is a certain length and produces a certain tone when plucked. Now, if you divide this string into six equal parts, you can press down on the string at the point that divides it into the 7th part. This will produce a new tone that is very close to the original tone, but slightly higher.

The difference between these two frequencies is the septimal semicomma. It is a very small interval that is not commonly used in Western music, but is used in other musical traditions and can create a unique and interesting sound.