The Helmholtz-Ellis JI Pitch Notation (HEJI) | 2020 | LEGEND

revised by Marc Sabat and Thomas Nicholson | PLAINSOUND MUSIC EDITION | www.plainsound.org
in collaboration with Wolfgang von Schweinitz, Catherine Lamb, and M.O. Abbott, building upon the original HEJI notation devised by Marc Sabat and Wolfgang von Schweinitz in the early 2000s
PYTHAGOREAN JUST INTONATION | generated by multiplying / dividing an arbitrary reference frequency by PRIMES 2 and 3 only
... E e n v ...V notate a series of perfect fifths above / below a reference — 3/2 ≈ ±702.0 cents (ca. 2c wider than tempered)
each new accidental therefore represents 7 fifths, altering by one apotome — 2187/2048 ≈ ±113.7 cents
Frequency ratios including higher prime numbers (5–47) may be precisely written by adding the following distinct accidental symbols. Custom indications for higher primes or various
enharmonic substitutions may be invented as needed by simply defining further symbols representing the relevant ratio alterations.
PTOLEMAIC JUST INTONATION | PRIMES up to 5 includes the consonant just major third — 5/4 ≈ ±386.3 cents (ca. 14c narrower than tempered)
D d m u U F f o w W alteration by one syntonic comma — 81/80 ≈ ±21.5 cents

C c l t T G g p x X alteration by two syntonic commas — 81/80 · 81/80 ≈ ±43.0 cents

~u = e |f = v alteration by one schisma to notate an exact enharmonic substitution — 32805/32768 ≈ ±2.0 cents
SEPTIMAL JI | PRIME 7 includes the consonant natural seventh — 7/4 ≈ ±968.8 cents (ca. 31c narrower than tempered)
< > alteration by one septimal comma — 64/63 ≈ ±27.3 cents (Giuseppe Tartini)
, . alteration by two septimal commas — 64/63 · 64/63 ≈ ±54.5 cents
UNDECIMAL | PRIME 11 includes the undecimal semi-augmented fourth — 11/8 ≈ ±551.3 cents (ca. 51c wider than tempered)
5 4 alteration by one undecimal quartertone — 33/32 ≈ ±53.3 cents (Richard H. Stein)
TRIDECIMAL | PRIME 13 includes the tridecimal neutral sixth — 13/8 ≈ ±840.5 cents (ca. 59c narrower than a tempered major sixth)
0 9 alteration by one tridecimal thirdtone — 27/26 ≈ ±65.3 cents (Gérard Grisey)
=e = 50 ?v = 49 combination of 11/13 re-notated enharmonically — alteration by the ratio 352/351 ≈ ±4.9 cents
`n = 40 ´n = 59 combination of 11 * 13 re-notated as a single symbol — alteration by the ratio 144/143 ≈ ±12.1 cents
HIGHER PRIMES 17 – 47
: ; alteration by one 17-limit schisma — 2187/2176 ≈ ±8.7 cents
\ / alteration by one 19-limit schisma — 513/512 ≈ ±3.4 cents
6 3 alteration by one 23-limit comma — 736/729 ≈ ±16.5 cents (James Tenney / John Cage)
7 2 alteration by one 29-limit sixthtone — 261/256 ≈ ±33.5 cents
1 8 alteration by one 31-limit quartertone — 32/31 ≈ ±55.0 cents (Alinaghi Vaziri)
à á alteration by one 37-limit quartertone — 37/36 ≈ ±47.4 cents (Ivan Wyschnegradsky)
- + alteration by one 41-limit comma — 82/81 ≈ ±21.2 cents (Ben Johnston)
è é alteration by one 43-limit comma — 129/128 ≈ ±13.5 cents
ì í alteration by one 47-limit quartertone — 752/729 ≈ ±53.8 cents
CENTS HEJI accidentals may be combined with an indication of their deviation in cents from equal temperament as read on a tuning meter; An 440 Hz is usually defined to be ±0 cents.
If this deviation exceeds ±50 cents, the nearest tempered pitch-class may be added: e.g. A0 (−65 cents from An) could include the annotation Ae+35 placed above or below its accidental.
TEMPERED NOTES | may be combined with cents deviations to notate free microtonal pitches

... A a i j r z Z ... indicate the respective equal tempered quartertone; show which pitch is assigned a deviation of 0c
 The Helmholtz-Ellis JI Pitch Notation (HEJI) | 2020
Harmonic / Subharmonic series 1–49 notated by modifications of Pythagorean notes
with dedicated microtonal accidental symbols for primes 5 through 47
revised by Marc Sabat & Thomas Nicholson
in collaboration with Wolfgang von Schweinitz, Catherine Lamb and M.O. Abbott
Ratios represent the amount of modification of the Pythagorean notes by each additional symbol, building upon the original HEJI devised by Marc Sabat and Wolfgang von Schweinitz

4
cents indications are deviations that would be shown on a tuning meter with A = 0 cents

 < n n  <  4  3v  n
n / u
Standard otonal notation above An

n u  < u n  :v  n
+51

n  0v 
+4
u +2


n
+2 +5 +4 +51 +28
+2 +2

n n

-14 -31 -14 F+41 -31 -12 -2 -14 -29
partial 5Ö 7Ö 11Ö 13Ö 17Ö 19Ö 23Ö
interval M3 m7 P4 M6 aug8 m3 aug4

n , 
alteration (81:80) (64:63) (32:33) (27:26) (2187:2176) (512:513) (729:736)

1       á     +v   é     ív 
t  0v  v  <  2  u 
+28 E-34 +2 E+38
+51
/ 0v < +12
4 u 3v +29


+4 +51
+6
n 4 :v
+30
<m n u +5

-27 F+41 -31 -12 Ae+45 Av-47 -45 -2 C+42 -14 -29 -10
29Ö 31Ö 37Ö 41Ö 43Ö 47Ö
m7 P8 M2 M3 P4 aug4
(256:261) (32:31) (36:37) (81:82) (128:129) (729:752)

n +2n  n 
Standard utonal notation below En

n n  +16o  5 n  Gv-399  +33

o >v  o n  ;e 
+2

 n  >v  n
 n  \v  o >  5 6e  n
+2 +16 +14 +2 +4 +16 +31
+33 +2

-2 -49 -3 -2 -49 -26

Ü5 Ü7 Ü11 Ü13 Ü17 Ü19 Ü23
M3 m7 P4 M6 aug8 m3 aug4

 +29 Gv-39
(80:81) (63:64) (33:32) (26:27) (2176:2187) (513:512) (736:729)

g  9  n  >v  7v  o  8  n  5  ;e  >o  n  à 
+33 +14 F-43 +2 +47 +4 Cv-41 +16 +31 +12

-4
-28 -51 -3
\v  9  o  -  >  è  5  f  6e  ìe  n  .v 
-2 -49 -27 -10 -49 -26 A+36
A-36
Ü29 Ü31 Ü37 Ü41 Ü43 Ü47
m7 P8 M2 M3 P4 aug4
(261:256) (31:32) (37:36) (82:81) (129:128) (752:729)
cc 2020 Plainsound Music Edition
The Helmholtz-Ellis JI Pitch Notation (HEJI) | 2020 | LEGEND
revised by Marc Sabat and Thomas Nicholson | PLAINSOUND MUSIC EDITION | www.plainsound.org
in collaboration with Wolfgang von Schweinitz, Catherine Lamb, and M.O. Abbott, building upon the original HEJI notation
devised by Marc Sabat and Wolfgang von Schweinitz in the early 2000s
PYTHAGOREAN JUST INTONATION | generated by multiplying / dividing an arbitrary reference frequency by PRIMES 2 and 3 only
notate a series of perfect fifths above / below a reference
... E e n v V ...
3/2 ≈ ±702.0 cents (i.e. 2c wider than tempered)

each new accidental represents 7 fifths, altering by one apotome

2187/2048 ≈ ±113.7 cents

Frequency ratios including higher prime numbers (5–47) may be notated by adding the following distinct accidental symbols.
Custom indications for higher primes or various enharmonic substitutions may be invented as needed by simply defining
further symbols representing the relevant ratio alterations.
includes the consonant just major third
PTOLEMAIC JUST INTONATION | PRIMES up to 5 5/4 ≈ ±386.3 cents (ca. 14c narrower than tempered)

D d m u U F f o w W alteration by one syntonic comma

81/80 ≈ ±21.5 cents

C c l t T G g p x X alteration by two syntonic commas

81/80 · 81/80 ≈ ±43.0 cents

~u = e |f = v alteration by one schisma to notate an exact enharmonic substitution

32805/32768 ≈ ±2.0 cents

includes the consonant natural seventh

SEPTIMAL JI | PRIME 7 7/4 ≈ ±968.8 cents (ca. 31c narrower than tempered)

< > alteration by one septimal comma (Giuseppe Tartini)

64/63 ≈ ±27.3 cents

, . alteration by two septimal commas

64/63 · 64/63 ≈ ±54.5 cents

includes the undecimal semi-augmented fourth

UNDECIMAL | PRIME 11 11/8 ≈ ±551.3 cents (ca. 51c wider than tempered)

5 4 alteration by one undecimal quartertone (Richard H. Stein)

33/32 ≈ ±53.3 cents

includes the tridecimal neutral sixth

TRIDECIMAL | PRIME 13 13/8 ≈ ±840.5 cents (ca. 59c narrower than a tempered major sixth)

0 9 alteration by one tridecimal thirdtone (Gérard Grisey)

27/26 ≈ ±65.3 cents

=e = 50 ?v = 49 combination of 11/13 re-notated enharmonically

alteration by the ratio 352/351 ≈ ±4.9 cents
`n = 40 ´n = 59 combination of 11 * 13 re-notated as a single symbol
alteration by the ratio 144/143 ≈ ±12.1 cents
PRIMES 17 THROUGH 47
: ; alteration by one 17-limit
2187/2176 ≈ ±8.7 cents
schisma

\ / alteration by one 19-limit

513/512 ≈ ±3.4 cents
schisma

6 3 alteration by one 23-limit

736/729 ≈ ±16.5 cents
comma (James Tenney / John Cage)

7 2 alteration by one 29-limit

261/256 ≈ ±33.5 cents
sixthtone

1 8 alteration by one 31-limit

32/31 ≈ ±55.0 cents
quartertone (Alinaghi Vaziri)

à á alteration by one 37-limit

37/36 ≈ ±47.4 cents
quartertone (Ivan Wyschnegradsky)

- + alteration by one 41-limit

82/81 ≈ ±21.2 cents
comma (Ben Johnston)

è é alteration by one 43-limit

129/128 ≈ ±13.5 cents
comma

ì í alteration by one 47-limit

752/729 ≈ ±53.8 cents
quartertone

CENTS HEJI accidentals may be combined with an indication of their deviation in cents from equal temperament as read on a
tuning meter; An 440 Hz is usually defined to be ±0 cents. If this deviation exceeds ±50 cents, the nearest tempered pitch-class
may be added: e.g. A0 (−65 cents from An) could include the annotation Ae+35 placed above or below its accidental.
TEMPERED NOTES | may be combined with cents deviations to notate free microtonal pitches
... A a i j r z Z ...
indicate the respective equal tempered quartertone;
show which pitch is assigned a deviation of 0c
 The Helmholtz-Ellis JI Pitch Notation (HEJI) | 2020
Harmonic / Subharmonic series 1–49 notated by modifications of Pythagorean notes
with dedicated microtonal accidental symbols for primes 5 through 47

revised by Marc Sabat & Thomas Nicholson

in collaboration with Wolfgang von Schweinitz, Catherine Lamb and M.O. Abbott
building upon the original HEJI devised by Marc Sabat and Wolfgang von Schweinitz

Ratios represent the amount of modification of the Pythagorean notes by each additional symbol,

n u  4
cents indications are deviations that would be shown on a tuning meter with A = 0 cents

 n < n
Standard otonal notation above An

u < u
+51

n n  0v 
+4


n
+2 +2 +2

n n

-14 -31 -14 F+41 -31
-12
partial 5Ö 7Ö 11Ö 13Ö
interval M3 m7 P4 M6

t  0v  v < 2 u 1
alteration (81:80) (64:63) (32:33) (27:26)

n / u < 4  3v  n
 n  :v 
+6 +30
+5 +4 +51 +28 +2

-2 -14 -29 -27 F+41 -31 -12 Ae+45

17Ö 19Ö 23Ö 29Ö 31Ö
aug8 m3 aug4 m7 P8

,
(2187:2176) (512:513) (729:736) (256:261) (32:31)

n  4  :v  <m  n  á  /  0v  u  +v   é     ív  
+2 E+38
< +51
4 u +28
3v E-34
n +29


+5 +12
+4 +51

Av-47 -45 -2 C+42 -14 -29 -10

37Ö 41Ö 43Ö 47Ö
M2 M3 P4 aug4
(36:37) (81:82) (128:129) (729:752)

n n
Standard utonal notation below En

n n n o 5 n 9  >v 
o o
+2 +2

 n  >v  
+16

n
+2 +16 Gv-39 +33 +14
+33 +2

-2 -49
Ü5 Ü7 Ü11 Ü13
M3 m7 P4 M6
(80:81) (63:64) (33:32) (26:27)

 +2n  ;e  n  \v  o > 5 6e  n g 9 n  >v  7v  o 8

+4 +16 +31 +29 Gv-39 +33 +14 F-43

-3 -2 -49 -26
-4 -28
Ü17 Ü19 Ü23 Ü29 Ü31
aug8 m3 aug4 m7 P8
(2176:2187) (513:512) (736:729) (261:256) (31:32)

 +2
n  5  ;e  >o  n  à  \v  9  o  -  >  è  5  f  6e  ìe  n 
+47 +4 Cv-41 +16 +31 +12

-51 -3 -2 -49 -27 -10 -49

.v 
-26 A+36
A-36
Ü37 Ü41 Ü43 Ü47
M2 M3 P4 aug4
(37:36) (82:81) (129:128) (752:729)
cc 2020 Plainsound Music Edition