False Intonation

(in Russian, detonirovanie; from French detonner, “to sing completely out of tune”), the imprecise production of musical sounds, creating a sensation of being out of tune. False intonation is encountered mainly in singing and is most frequently manifested by flatting, which is caused either by the performer’s lack of musical control or by a weak ear for music. The term is rarely applied to the imprecise production of sounds by musicians playing stringed and wind instruments with open intonation.