Pythagorean vs. Equally Tempered Tuning is a paper discussing the differences, pros, and cons of the two systems of tuning musical instruments. Complete with 6 source bibliography.

Pythagorean vs. Equally Tempered In the western world of music, there is a commonly used system of tuning for an instrument, called equally tempered tuning. However, this was not always the system in use. Before equal tempered tuning, there was the Pythagoras scale, developed about 2,500 years ago by Pythagoras. Although Pythagoras' scale sounded very natural, it had a flaw. Over time, more complex instruments were created that could reach higher octaves, where the flaw became …showed first 75 words of 1173 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1173 total…Feb 2004. <http://www.its.caltech.edu/~sciwrite/journal03/A-L/hardesty.pdf>. Howard, David M.. "Acoustics and psychoacoustics ." August 2000. DMH. 12 Feb 2004. <http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~dmh8/ac-psych/chap3util.htm>. Isacoff, Stuart . Temperament. New York: Alphred A Knops, 2001. Messen, John . A Guide to Tuning Musical Instruments. London: David and Charles, 1982. Nave, C. R.. "Pythagorean Temperament." 2000. Georgia State University. 12 Feb 2004. <http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/music/pythag.html#c4>.