Historical Temperaments in GrandOrgue (Meantone, Werckmeister & More)

GrandOrgue can retune your virtual organ to the tuning systems of the past — no pipework required. Here is what temperaments are, where to find them, and which one suits the music you play.

What Is a Temperament?

A temperament is a tuning system: the exact recipe that decides how high or low each of the twelve notes sits. Modern instruments almost all use equal temperament, which divides the octave into twelve identical semitones. It is a compromise — every key is equally usable, but no interval (except the octave) is perfectly in tune.

Before equal temperament won out, organs were tuned to systems that made some intervals beautifully pure at the cost of making others rough or unusable. That is why a Bach fugue can sound startlingly vivid — thirds ringing like bells — in a historical temperament, and merely correct in equal temperament. In GrandOrgue, switching temperaments costs nothing and takes seconds, so you can hear the difference for yourself.

Where to Find the Temperaments Menu

Open Audio/Midi > Temperaments. A dialog lists the built-in historical tunings — the exact set can vary slightly between GrandOrgue versions, but it includes equal temperament (the default) alongside period options such as 1/4-comma meantone, Werckmeister III, Kirnberger III, Vallotti, and Bach (Bradley Lehman). Select one and the whole organ retunes instantly.

One caveat worth knowing: the temperament feature works best when the sample set includes proper pitch information. If a sample-set creator tuned the samples directly instead of writing pitch data into the files, tick the “Ignore pitch info” box in the Audio/Midi > Organ Settings dialog — this lets GrandOrgue apply the temperament anyway.

Which Temperament for Which Music?

• Bach and the German Baroque → Werckmeister III (or Kirnberger III). These “well temperaments” were designed so that every key is playable while each key keeps its own character — exactly what Bach’s modulating fugues need. This is the historically informed default for most of Bach’s organ works; see our Bach organ works guide for repertoire ideas.
• Earlier music – Sweelinck, Frescobaldi, early Buxtehude → 1/4-comma meantone. Meantone gives you ravishingly pure major thirds, which is why Renaissance and early Baroque music glows in it. The price: keys with many sharps or flats sound harsh or “wolfish,” so stay in the friendly keys the music was written for.
• Curiosity and comparison → Bach (Bradley Lehman). A modern scholarly proposal for how Bach himself may have tuned. Try the same prelude in this, in Werckmeister III, and in equal temperament back to back — it is the fastest ear-training in historical tuning there is.
• Everything else, ensembles, and modern music → equal temperament. When in doubt, the default is the right answer.

An Honest Note: What Temperament Does and Doesn’t Do

Changing the temperament only changes pitch — each pipe is retuned up or down by a few cents. It does not change the samples themselves: the attack, the chiff, the room sound, and the character of the organ remain exactly as recorded. Think of it as asking the organ tuner to visit, not rebuilding the organ.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the temperaments menu in GrandOrgue?

Go to Audio/Midi > Temperaments in the menu bar. Pick a temperament from the list and it applies to the loaded organ immediately.

What should I use for Bach?

Werckmeister III is the standard recommendation for Bach and the German Baroque — all keys work, and each key keeps its own color. Kirnberger III is a close alternative from the same tradition.

Why does some music sound out of tune in meantone?

That is the temperament working as designed. Meantone makes common keys sound exceptionally pure by pushing the tuning error into remote keys. If a piece modulates far from its home key, switch to a well temperament like Werckmeister III.

Will temperament settings damage my sample set?

No. The setting only affects playback pitch and is stored in GrandOrgue’s settings, not in the sample set files. Switch back to equal temperament at any time.

The temperament option seems to have no effect. Why?

The sample set may lack embedded pitch information. Open Audio/Midi > Organ Settings and tick “Ignore pitch info,” then try again.

Keep Exploring

Put historical tuning to work on the music it was made for with our Bach organ works guide, or keep building your technique with our learn pipe organ resources.