Applied temperament and theoretical temperament are two major divisions of temperament research. The former focuses on the musical characteristics of instruments in musical practice

exploring specific temperament phenomena or principles that exist independently in practice. This helps to provide auxiliary or mutual evidence for the theoretical temperament system and reveals the theoretical category of the temperament norm paradigm for the music system. Semi-twelve-tone temperament is an applied temperament phenomenon musicians produce in their objective music practice activities. It represents an early transitional stage in the development of semi-twelve-tone temperament

reflecting the historical process that folk musicians undergo in pursuit of theoretical goals. There is considerable controversy in academic circles regarding the existence of semi-twelve-tone temperament in applied temperament. The issue of the temperament system attribution of the Quxiang four-string and four-column pipa can prove the existence of semi-twelve-tone temperament in applied temperament. By using historical data and relics

and through the method of simultaneously setting the column position of the Quxiang four-string and four-column pipa and calculating the pitch of the music played by it

as well as analyzing the frequency ratio between the pipa strings and columns

it is concluded that the temperament system should belong to the transitional nature of semi-twelve-tone temperament. This discovery helps expand the understanding of the internal relationship between musical instruments and temperament

re-examine the historical facts of the development and evolution of semi-twelve-tone temperament in applied temperament

and promote the overall construction of the theoretical system of Chinese music.