What Are The Benefits and Drawbacks of the Widespread Use in Western

Music of the Equal Temperament Scale?

Introduction:
Music can be defined as a series of relationships between notes. These relationships are primarily
determined by the pitch of these notes, which is inversely proportional to the frequency of the
sound wave. Studying and analyzing these relationships between frequencies is essentially the
overriding goal of music theory. Because all conventional instruments are only capable of playing a
discrete number of notes, there has been a great deal of debate for the last 2½ thousand years
amongst physicists and musicians alike over which frequencies should be assigned to which notes.
Almost all contemporary western music of the last 200 years has used a specific way of tuning
instruments called equal temperament. To understand why, and to analyze the benefits and
drawbacks of this reality, the history and context of this debate must first be realised. What will be
discussed in this report is the discovery of pitch and the relationships between them, the
significant alternative tuning systems, the benefits and drawbacks of all of these systems and if -
and why - equal temperament is suited for the climate of western music.

The Discovery of Temperament:

The discovery that two frequencies of fundamental ratios sound pleasant is often attributed to the
philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, who noticed that the tones produced by two
hammers, one half the size of the other, hitting anvils sounded pleasant. This is because the
frequency of one is double the frequency of the other, an interval which would be known as the
octave. He wrote that the ratio between a tone and an octave up from it is 2:1, and he created a
rudimentary string instrument to test other ratios. The ratio of 3:2 creates a perfect fifth, 4:3 a
perfect fourth, 5:4 a major third; as the complexity of the ratio increases, so does the dissonance.
This is important to understand, as it causes the problem that different temperaments aim to fix.
Pythagoras created a scale by layering fifths on top of each other, and then halfing the frequencies
so they all fit into an octave. The result of this is that 12 tones make up an octave, and then repeat
at double the frequency. However, Pythagoras made a mistake in his calculations that went
unnoticed by his contemporaries. For example, A1 has a frequency of 55 Hz. It will take 12 steps of
7
perfect fifths until another A is reached, 7 octaves above A1. 55 × 2 = 7040, giving A8 a frequency
of 7040 Hz. However, 12 intervals of a perfect fifth ratio do not equal 7 intervals of an octave:
3 12 3 12 2 7
55 × ( ) 2
= 7136. 049.... In essence, ( )
2
does not equal ( ) . Perfect intervals cannot fit
1
perfectly into octaves, there will always be some discrepancy between the two. The imperfections
of mathematics that cause this mean that pure intervals must be adjusted in order to fit 12 notes
into an octave, they must be ‘tempered’. Temperament is the business of adapting tuning to fit
inside the irrational mathematics that governs it.

Equal Temperament:
Equal temperament is the system of tuning in which the octave is divided into 12 equal parts. Each
12
note is separated by a ratio of the 12th root of 2 ( 2, around 1.059). The problem with equal
temperament tuning, then, is that the consonance of simple fractions is lost. For example, a perfect
3 12
fifth ( 2 = 1. 5) in equal temperament tuning is actually a ratio of 1.49831 (7 × 2), which may
only be a difference of 0.00169, yet is still impactful at higher frequencies. For more pronounced
5 12
differences such as a major third ( 4 = 1. 250, 5 × 2 = 1. 262) with a difference of 0.012, the
difference is distinct even to an untrained ear. While all intervals of an octave are different to their
pure-tone counterparts, there is no single interval that is so wildly different that it is unlistenable.
Equal temperament tuning also means that all keys have the same ratios, so a composition can be
transposed into a new key and the intervals between notes will sound exactly the same. This is
because equal temperament is a divisional system.

Alternative Temperaments’ Positives and Negatives:

The first temperament to be fully realized is that of Pythagorean tuning. Because he was unaware
of the irrationality of the mathematics behind music, he formed his scale by making all the fifths
perfectly consonant. As a result, major thirds and major sixths were very sharp and the pitch would
gradually deviate from pure as octaves increased. Because contemporary music of this scale was
generally monophonic, the dissonance went mostly unnoticed until centuries later, when multiple
notes were being played at once. The positives of this system were that all of its perfect fifths were
‘true’, the disparities between intervals were the same in the key the instrument the key was tuned
to. To play in a different key would require building different sizes of instruments, as strings made
from animal intestines were unable to withstand too much tension. Every other interval was
imperfect to some sense, and modulation was impossible due to the amount of unpleasant
intervals that are created.

Ptolemaic tuning, attributed to Ptolemy, flattens one of the fifths and sharpens one of the major
thirds in order to have all other fifths and thirds be pure. This means that there are noticeably
different ratios between whole tones, a disconcerting feeling in music. This temperament was also
rarely applied to music with complex harmony, and its dissonance increased with the addition of
chromatic notes. In western music, this temperament was the primary tuning until the 15th
century. This is why all music from the medieval era of classical music relies on harmonies built on
perfect fifths. In order to introduce more colour and emotion into music, composers of the era
would modulate into different modes: Dorian, Lydian, Mixolydian, etc. Because music, especially if
it was non-secular, was not meant to offend the ear there were a lot of unnecessary rules regarding
what keys and modes can be modulated to and what chords relative to the tonic you can use with
it sounding nice. The reason then that this deeply flawed system of tuning stayed around for so
long is because an alternative would mean sacrificing the ‘true’ interval of a perfect fifth.

Mean-tone temperament did eventually replace Ptolemaic tuning, because the two different sizes
of whole tones (such as as F-G and C-D) were troublesome both harmonically and melodically.
Mean-tone temperament, as the name suggests, has only one value for every whole tone. It does
this by flattening every fifth slightly and sharpening every major sixth so that every other interval is
either perfectly or near-perfectly in tune. In this temperament four fifths will fit perfectly into two
4 5 3
octaves and a major third, so they will have the ratio of 1
instead of 2
for a perfect fifth. This
meant that the triad, arguably now the most fundamental chord, was for the first time pleasant
sounding. However, depending on which type of mean-tone temperament the instrument was
using created notes that should be - but weren’t - enharmonically equivalent. An example of this is
that F♯ and G♭ had different pitches, and some keys might require a G♭ on an instrument with
that key tuned to an F♯, which instead of creating a (near) perfect fifth will create a wolf interval.
Composers of the early Baroque era such as Pachelbel and Handle were often required to have
several pianos tuned slightly differently in order to play the piano in all the keys required for a
particular performance.
Invented by music theorist Andreas Werckmeister and popularized by composer Johann Sebastian
Bach, well temperament provided a temperament that could be played in every key. The collection
of preludes and fugues titled The Well-Tempered Clavier, by Bach, contains pieces in all 12 major
and minor keys and proves all keys are stable within well temperament. This is because
dissonance from near-perfect intervals is distributed across the 12 notes of the scale. The ratios
between semitones are not the same however, those of major thirds and perfect fifths are
tempered to be closer to their ‘true’ selves while less desirable intervals such as a minor second are
more out of tune. To an untrained listener this is a very subtle difference. The key positives of well
temperament are that all keys are usable, there is no wolf interval due to mathematical
inequalities, and they preserved the individual characteristics of each key. By the time well
temperament was proposed, equal temperament had also been created a few hundred years
earlier, but it had not caught on due to the large major thirds and the absence of personality in
each key. Due to the inequalities of semitones, every key has a distinct colour to it. G minor was
typically used for expressing despair and agitation, while C minor was tragic yet grand, fit to
express the death of heroes. D major was the key of triumph and of victory, A♭ major was the key
of nobility and devotion. Having these unique characteristics also means that music cannot be
transposed into other keys without changing its personality, unless the entire instrument is
retuned relative to the tonic note.

Why Equal Temperament was Favoured Over Alternatives:

Pythagorean and Ptelomaic tuning both do not function well with the presence of harmony, and
even sound odd and dissanant when being used for monophonic pieces. The only upside of these
systems is that they contain mostly ‘true’ perfect fifths or major thirds.

Mean-tone temperament can potentially be the most pleasant temperament. It contains almost
entirely pure intervals in keys that the instrument is tuned to. However, in almost every other key
there are dissonances and irregularities that make those keys unusable. This means that
widespread use of mean-tone temperament would require 12 different models of every instrument
to be able to play in each key, which would be roughly 12 times more expensive than the current
widespread use of equal temperament. This would also mean that musicians performing would
need to swap between instruments midway through a piece if they wished to modulate or to
change keys. This is impractical because some instruments need to be warmed up or require other
forms of preparation. Mean-tone temperament also means that there are 12 different forms of each
key, e.g playing in F major on an instrument tuned to F would sound completely different to
playing in F major on an instrument tuned to B. This would increase the complexity of music
theory for composers, as there would now be 12 different forms of 12 different notes each with 7
modes. Equal temperament avoids all of the issues associated with having unequal intervals inside
of a key by having equal ones.

Well temperament has entirely near-pure intervals, and only has one tuning required, as every key
works when middle C is tuned to 261.62 Hz. This bypasses the manufacturing and performative
issues that mean-temperament encounters. The important difference between well temperament
and equal temperament is that in well temperament every key has subtle yet impactful
characteristics and in equal temperament the only difference between keys is that their tonic note
has a different frequency. Equal temperament means that pieces can be transposable between
keys and still sound the same. I think that the reason that equal temperament became more
frequently used over well temperament is because of simplicity. In the early 20th century there was
a lot of upheaval in how music was produced and consumed, prior to then music was written by
the upper class and performed live by primarily orchestras or choirs for religion or the aristocracy.
Then, primarily because of the rise of blues and the increasing accessibility of recorded music,
most people were unbothered by the slightly larger major third and the lack of ‘colour’ in different
keys, and equal temperament allowed people to learn and make music that sounds nice with very
little or even no understanding of music theory. This also explains why equal temperament was
chosen when almost all prestigious composers favoured well temperament, while important in
their field they made up a very small percentage of the population.

How is Equal Temperament Suited/Not-Suited for its Role in Western Music:

The downsides of equal temperament are that there are no mathematically pure intervals and that
there is an absence of personality between keys. Based on evidence acquired from my research, I
believe that equal temperament is the superior method of tuning in western music. The
manufacturing problems that it solves make instruments more accessible and only require one
model, which in itself is such a substantial positive. I do not think that the minute characteristics of
different keys are a significant drawback. This is because listeners of music with complex harmony
in the days of mean-tone or well temperament would listen to a performance for an entire evening.
Consumers of modern pop songs will listen to that piece for around 4 minutes. This means that
there is little time within that piece for the subtleties of a specific key to be sounded, and as most
of the public have an untrained ear it would probably go unnoticed. This same reasoning stands
behind the lack of mathematically pure intervals. Because we have been brought up exposed only
to these intervals, deviations from it sound bad, even if they shouldn’t. Also, hundreds of years ago
when the wrong intervals were played, it was incredibly offensive to the ears. Those same intervals
would sound fine to us, they do not compare to the dissonance of overtones on a distorted electric
guitar. Equal temperament also makes transposition and sampling possible on digital media, as
the ratios between intervals are not changed. This also makes it possible to play complex
harmonies on an instrument without needing to understand the theory behind it.

Conclusion:
In summary, equal temperament makes music simpler and easier, from theory to manufacturing to
transposition. The drawbacks that it presents are rather waylaid by the nature of the western
music industry and the manner in which contemporary music is consumed. All significant
alternative tuning systems are either fundamentally flawed or present logistical problems much
greater than the sacrifice of a more consonant major third. Equal temperament is the most suitable
tuning system for the needs of western music.

Bibliography:
Nicholas Temperley (2007) Tuning and Temperament. Retrieved from
https://www.britannica.com/art/tuning-and-temperament

Edel Sanders (2020) Music and Mathematics: A Pythagorean Perspective. Retrieved from
https://www.unyp.cz/news/music-and-mathematics-pythagorean-perspective#:~:text=Pythagoras
%20observed%20several%20ratios%20of,fifth%2C%20seven%20semitones%20apart).

Oliver Lugg (2021) How Pythagoras Broke Music. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdYzqLgMmgk&ab_channel=OliverLugg
Wikipedia (2022) Musical Temperament. Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_temperament

Britannica (2019) Equal Temperament. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/art/equal-temperament

Munster Technological University (1991) Just vs Equal Temperament. Retrieved from

https://pages.mtu.edu/~suits/scales.html

Jan Swafford (2010) The Wolf at Our Heels. Retrieved from

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/music_box/2010/04/the_wolf_at_our_heels.html

Rolling Ball (n.d.) The Mean-tone family of temperament. Retrieved from

http://www.rollingball.com/images/HT3.htm

Logbook:
Although I do not think that it is a requirement of the assessment, I believe that keeping a log of my
research will assist in demonstrating proof of research as a process.

08/03
In my first music class (as I was transferred from English), Brendon explained the details of the
standard.
My first idea that had legs was to analyze Bach and the surrounding reasons and history of his
progation for the use of the equal temperment scale, and that lead me to remember Pythagoras
and his role in the creation of wester music scales. After unpacking these ideas further, Brendon
made me realize that what I was interested in surrounding these ideas was the mathematical
concepts behind them. He lent me 'Music by the Numbers' by Eli Maor and encouraged me to read
it and to get back to him with a more definative research question.

11/03
For the previous few days I have gently explored Pythagoras's tuning system and the important
factors and events leading to the now wisespread use of the western equal temperment scale. I
have been struggling to use all this interesting knowledge to form a question, but I did succeed in
boring Steph with an hour-long tangent about how crazy it is that Pythagoras did all this stuff and
why his tuning system doesn't work (3/2^12 does not equal 2/1^7).

13/03
I reached chapter 5 in 'Music by the Numbers' today, and was certainly intrigued by the notions it
made over how our ear is an "audible prism" and it splits sound into respective and discrete
frequencies, as opposed to how when our eyes recieve multiple frequencies of light they blend
them into a new colour. This characteristic of our hearing enables us to identify timbre, as the
harmonics of different instruments give them their distinct characteristics. This also allows us to
hear chords as seperate notes (for example, the distinct C E G of a C major triad and not a jumbled
frequency resuslting in the combination of them). I am interested in pursueing this area as it was
previously unfamiliar to me, but I fear that is it straying too far from music and into the realms of
biology; I will check with Brendon when I next have a meet with him.

14/03
I had a short talk with Brendon earlier where we talked about how much of the book I'd read and
some of the interesting ideas I'd come across. After hearing his suggestions and then thinking on
them afterwards, I decided to make my first research question something along the lines of 'What
are the benefits and drawbacks of the widespread use of the equal temperment scale?' This would
allow me to encompass everything I have found interesting and discussed so far and I think is a
very good framework for my future research.

21/03
After spending much of the past week focusing on other assessments, I have finished the book
‘Music by the Numbers’ and think it would be good to start working towards my assessment. I have
found a few sources that I could use but will cite them when I have reread and properly processed
the information in them as I am still a little confused at the maths behind some of them. I think I’ll
try and write it out in a way that it makes sense to me and do the calculations myself so I can
understand where the process used to make different scales came from.

23/03
In a google meet for music today Brendon talked about starting to frame our inquiry, and
afterwards I was lead down a rabbit hole of thought about all the places I could go with my project.
I’ve got lots of assessments coming up for my other classes so I might just ignore this standard for a
little bit.

05/04
After a lot of on-and-off research (having a sudden feeling of motivation and reading articles for
around 15 minutes) and a lot of other assessments out of the way, I feel like beginning to structure
my research would be a good idea. I’ll probably make a To-Do list on my whiteboard as I find those
handy, and then I might type up a consended version into here or take a photo of it.
To Do:
State hypothesis, write up focusing questions, list sources that will likely be useful or that I should
further investigate, analyze sources, make sense of findings, write report.

04/05
After a lot of exams at the end of last term and 3 weeks at Outward Bound, I think I should probably
pick this assessment back up. My hypothesis is that the equal temperament scale is widely used
because of the ease it allows transposition to occur with, there are equal intervals between each
note of the scale (I think). However, the fullness offered by ‘pythagorean’ intervals (A perfect fifth
being exactly 3:2 for example) has been lost to the consumers of western music as our ears have
adjusted to a slightly different ratio of frequencies, one slightly less biologically appealing than the
other (biological in that humans have an affinity for patterns). Some questions that could further
structure my research would be:
- How did the equal temperament scale become as widespread as it is today?
- What are/were some alternative tuning systems?
- What are the differences between various tuning systems?
- Are these differences beneficial or detrimental for what purposes?
 06/05
A source that I will certainly use is the book Music by the Numbers that Brendon lent me. I will also
be sure to read and comprehend pages relevant to what I am researching on sites such as
Brittanica and Wikipedia. I haven’t watched any yet, but I have seen various videos on Youtube that
could possibly be useful. I’m going to reread Music by the Numbers to freshen up my memory and
understanding of that knowledge, and then investigate everything else I’ve listed and see where
that leads me. I’ll write down any information that I think is important onto my whiteboard while
researching, and organize that into this document. For each source, I will write down what I have
learnt from it, why it’s useful to me and it’s validity. These types of sources are the best ones suited
to my question, as my research is primarily maths/physics based. It is possible that I may need to
do more research to meet the merit and excellence criteria (going beyond stating information) and
that could require research based more upon opinions and perspectives. If that research were to
be required, I would investigate more personally based sources, such as articles, podcasts, and
interviews.

10/05 & 11/05

Source: Information: Usefulness: Validity:

Britannica - Tuning Definitions for key words
and Temperment relevant to tuning and
temperament (frequency
ration, consonance &
dissonance, intervals,
pitch, etc.)
The problems of tuning,
i.e. an octave cannot be
divided into perfect
intervals and why.
Difference in cents
between pythagorean
tuning, just intonation
(Ptolemaic tuning),
mean-tone temperament
and equal temperament.
The deviation that each
tuning has from the ideal
tuning of the perfect
intervals.
This article contains a lot Britannica has been an
of general information, esteemed encyclopedia
but doesn’t go in-depth in since the 1700’s, and the
any one specific topic. website is kept up to date
Some parts of it are constantly and cites
fundamentals of music scholarly sources.
and sound that I have
known for years, and the
article contains no
information that I hadn’t
read in Music by the
Numbers. However, it
contains more concise
descriptions of concepts
that I could draw on when
writing my own report.

Flaws in tuning systems of

the past, very brief history
of how those were
overcome and how new
problems were made.

University of New Description of Pythagoras Context around Author is chair of the

York in Prague - and short biography. Pythagoras’s discovery is psychology department of
Music and welcome. UNYP, has a masters
Mathematics Explanation of how
intervals are based on
ratios between
frequencies. How these
ratios effect the overtones
that create timbre.
Significance of the octave
(2:1 interval).
How Pythagoras Description of Pythagoras
Broke Music and biography.
Explanation of sound and
pitch, frequency and the
correlation between
perfect ratios and nice
sounding intervals.
How the pythagorean
scale was developed, what
the pythagorean comma
is.
How the equal
temperament scale
resolves this issue but
sacrifices perfect intervals.
Music by the
Numbers - Eli Maor
Wikipedia - Musical Definition of temperament
Temperament and a definition of the
relationships between
frequencies.
degree from Cambridge
How different ratios will university in psychology
have different overtones and another in education.
in a chord that effect its Article is published by
consonance/dissonance. UNYP.
(This means that different
tuning systems will have
chords that sound nice
and chords that do not.)
The most detailed and The creator of the video is
easy to grasp explanation a student at the University
of how the pythagorean of Bath, completing
scale was developed and honours degree in
effectively explains the mathematics. Sources are
reasons why it is flawed. cited in the description
and extensive edits have
been made with
clarification and mistakes
updated since upload.
Most of this book, while all Eli Maor is a professor at
interesting, has too much the University of Chigago
of a focus on the history of the history of maths,
and specific details and has a PhD in the
surrounding the history of subject.
mathematics and music.
While I cannot answer my
research question with it,
it is definitely beneficial to
my understanding of the
topic.
For example, I abstained
from mentioning overtone
series or the ‘prism’ effect
that the ear has on sounds
it interprets. These are
useful for understanding
why intervals sound nice
but is too far from my
topic to include.
While there is no Wikipedia cites scholarly
information here that isn’t sources and says the same
contained in Music by the information as I have
Numbers, I think it is learnt from other sources,
 organized in a manner however it can also be
Description of meantone that flows a bit better than edited by anyone to
temperament. the book, which is contain false information
interrupted often by tales or bias.
Description of well of scientists and thinkers
temperament and equal and not just their
temperament. revelations. If I want to
know more about one
thing in particular,
wikipedia is also easier to
use as there are numerous
external and internal links.

Britannica - Equal The reason why equal There was nothing new in Britannica has been an
Temperament temperament was this source, but I suppose esteemed encyclopedia
developed as a tuning that reading the same since the 1700’s, and the
system. thing in different words website is kept up to date
deepens my constantly and cites
The mathematics behind understanding of the scholarly sources.
the development of equal subject.
temperament.

Michigan Physics and history A few useful tables that I Published and authorised
Technological behind Just Temperament haven’t seen elsewhere. by MTU, who are
University - Physics and the equal doubtless studious and
of Music Notes temperament scale and scholarly.
how they are related.

Relations of frequencies
between the ratio and the
fundamental.

Slate - The Wolf at Pythagoras and how The only new information This article is published by
our Heels intervals between notes that is useful to me is that Slate, and written by Jan
are ratios between it gives a few examples of Swafford. He has a
frequencies. how keys in unequal Bachelor of Arts from
temperaments have Havard College and his
Several debates in history various moods associated Masters and Doctorate
about what temperament with them. from Yale School of Music.
is the best and why there Obviously he will know
is a need for what he is talking about,
temperaments. but at the same time this
article felt more like its
The ‘wolf’ interval and a purpose was to entertain
lot of folk lore around than to educate. I think
that. this because of how it
accents story’s and lore as
Well and mean-tone opposed to facts. This
temperament, and how does not take away from
unequal temperaments the validity of the article
will give different keys however.
unique colours.
Rolling Ball - The A graph showing recent
Meantone family of eras of music and the
Temperaments primary temperaments
used since meantone.
No new information from
this source, just a useful
graph that I think I will use
lots to refer to.
While Rolling Ball is not in
itself a valid source, it
doesn’t contradict any
information from valid
sources, only neatly
displays it.

13/05
I spent almost the entire block today listening to a very interesting discussion between Lia and
Brendon, and didn’t get much done, but I did kinda plan out how I will structure my report in my
head:
Introduction
What is Equal Temperament?
What are other temperaments & history of temperaments
Why do these temperaments sound consonant/dissonant?
What are the pros and cons of these systems?
How did equal temperament be chosen above others?
How do I think it is the temperament that best suits the needs of todays musical climate?
Conclusion (connect all key ideas)

15/05
The first draft was due today, however I didn’t actually finish it, I only got a few paragraphs done so
I won’t be able to get much feedback before my final submission date. At least I started I guess?

19/05
Did a bit of work on and off this assessment the past few days, hopefully I’ll submit it tomorrow but
maybe not, I changed the structure a little to be:
Introduction
What is temperament?
What is Equal Temperament?
What are other temperaments?
What are the pros and cons of these temperament?
How did equal temperament be chosen above others?
How do I think it is the temperament that best suits the needs of todays musical climate?
Conclusion (connect all key ideas)

1/06
I left this to the very last minute which is rather unlike me I think, but I’m more or less happy with
what I’ve learned and the quality of my report.

3/06
Today I finished it but properly :)

10/06
Today I seperated my conclusion into two paragraphs, one a conclusion of findings and one a
conclusion to the report. I also cut out the section where I initially wrote about the wolf interval:
“3/2^12=129.74633... and 2/1^7=128, and expressing the ratio between these values gives the
fraction 262144/177147”. I also chucked my whole report through grammerly, though I didn’t make
many errors. I think I will finish off this logbook by doing as Brendon suggested last week and
collate evidence that I have completed everything in the rubric.

Defining an area for research

At the top of this logbook I wrote about my process of solidifying my area, where it was initially
more the physics of sound it settled into the history and development of tuning. I have achieved
this.

Formulating a specific research question

I do not have a photo, but there was one class where Brendon and I narrowed down a research
question into something that allowed me to explore the area deeply. I have achieved this.

Designing a research framework which involves planning how to conduct research

I summarized my whiteboard scrawlings into a paragraph that dictated how my research would be
conducted. I have achieved this.

Gathering information and selecting relevant evidence

I used a table for this that is similar to the one that I used in my digital tech class in year 11, where
most of the assessment was based on the research. There are many instances where the resource
has contained information that is very interesting but not relevant enough to include. A prime
example is most the of book Music by the Numbers, initially as I was reading it early in my research I
would be thinking about how I could fit this information into my report, and not if this information
should be included in my report. I have achieved this.

Analysing the evidence and drawing valid conclusions

See report.

Organising and presenting an outline of the research process, findings and conclusions
See report.

Recording sources of evidence (bibliography).

See the bottom of the report.

The investigation goes beyond stating information and illustrates in-depth and thorough thinking
throughout sections.
I believe that I have used the information I found and processed to combine with my prior
knowledge and researched knowledge of the history of music to draw my own conclusions. Like
much of the merit/excellence criteria, the wording is very subjective, but I believe that I have
achieved this.

The investigation effectively processes evidence.

My researching process was the longest segment of this assessment, which would be because of
the amount of sources I checked to not find scholarly sites that contained new information, or
information put into a different context. I believe that I have achieved this.

Constructed, refined and detailed presentation is delivered.

I spent a few sporadic days writing my first draft, but much of my initial plan has been excluded as I
(with Brendon’s assistance) re-evaluated much of the informations relevance. I have achieved this.

The conclusion is valid and is evidently supported by research.

See report and bibliography.

The investigation goes beyond in-depth information and illustrates insight and thorough thinking
throughout sections.
While I am clearly bias, I believe that while most of my report is informative, my connections
between my question and the information is of a high standard.

Process evidence with discernment.

“My researching process was the longest segment of this assessment, which would be because of
the amount of sources I checked to not find scholarly sites that contained new information, or
information put into a different context. I believe that I have achieved this.”

The presentation has been critically refined.

I know that I was critical when assessing what of my report would remain, but the depth that I took
it would be debatable.

The conclusion is perceptive.

I believe that my conclusion is perceptive, though that is also very subjective.