| Inverse | minor seventh |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Other names | whole tone, whole step |
| Abbreviation | M2 |
| Size | |
| Semitones | 2 |
| Interval class | 2 |
| Just interval | 9:8[1] or 10:9[1] |
| Cents | |
| 12-Tone equal temperament | 200[1] |
| Just intonation | 204[1] or 182[1] |
InWesternmusic theory, amajor second (sometimes also calledwhole tone or awhole step) is a second spanning twosemitones (Playⓘ). A second is amusical interval encompassing two adjacentstaff positions (seeInterval number for more details). For example, the interval from C to D is a major second, as the note D lies two semitones above C, and the two notes arenotated on adjacent staff positions.
Diminished,minor andaugmented seconds are notated on adjacent staff positions as well, but consist of a different number of semitones (zero, one, and three).
The intervals from the tonic (keynote) in an upward direction to the second, to the third, to the sixth, and to the seventh scale degrees of a major scale are called major.[2]
The major second is the interval that occurs between the first and seconddegrees of amajor scale, thetonic and thesupertonic. On amusical keyboard, a major second is the interval between two keys separated by one key, counting white and black keys alike. On a guitar string, it is the interval separated by twofrets. In moveable-dosolfège, it is the interval betweendo andre. It is considered amelodicstep, as opposed to larger intervals called skips.
Intervals composed of two semitones, such as the major second and thediminished third, are also called tones, whole tones, or whole steps.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
Injust intonation, major seconds can occur in at least two differentfrequency ratios:[9] 9:8 (about 203.9 cents) and 10:9 (about 182.4 cents). The largest (9:8) ones are calledmajor tones or greater tones, the smallest (10:9) are calledminor tones or lesser tones. Their size differs by exactly onesyntonic comma (81:80, or about 21.5 cents).Some equal temperaments, such as15-ET and22-ET, also distinguish between a greater and a lesser tone.
The major second was historically considered one of the mostdissonant intervals of thediatonic scale, although much20th-century music saw it reimagined as a consonance.[citation needed] It is common in many different musical systems, includingArabic music,Turkish music and music of theBalkans, among others. It occurs in bothdiatonic andpentatonic scales.
Listen to a major second in equal temperamentⓘ. Here,middle C is followed by D, which is a tone 200cents sharper than C, and then by both tones together.
Intuning systems usingjust intonation, such as5-limit tuning, in which major seconds occur in two different sizes, the wider of them is called amajor tone orgreater tone, and the narrowerminor tone or,lesser tone. The difference in size between a major tone and a minor tone is equal to onesyntonic comma (about 21.51 cents).
The major tone is the 9:8 interval[11]playⓘ, and it is an approximation thereof in other tuning systems, while the minor tone is the 10:9 ratio[11]playⓘ. The major tone may be derived from theharmonic series as the interval between the eighth and ninth harmonics. The minor tone may be derived from the harmonic series as the interval between the ninth and tenth harmonics. The 10:9 minor tone arises in the Cmajor scale between D and E and between G and A, and is "a sharper dissonance" than 9:8.[12][13] The 9:8 major tone arises in the C major scale between C and D, F and G, and A and B.[12] This 9:8 interval was namedepogdoon (meaning 'one eighth in addition') by the Pythagoreans.
Notice that in these tuning systems, a third kind of whole tone, even wider than the major tone, exists. This interval of two semitones, with ratio 256:225, is simply called thediminished third (for further details, seeFive-limit tuning § Size of intervals).
Some equal temperaments also produce major seconds of two different sizes, calledgreater andlesser tones (ormajor andminor tones). For instance, this is true for15-ET,22-ET,34-ET,41-ET,53-ET, and72-ET.Conversely, intwelve-tone equal temperament,Pythagorean tuning, andmeantone temperament (including19-ET and31-ET) all major seconds have the same size, so there cannot be a distinction between a greater and a lesser tone.
In any system where there is only one size of major second, the termsgreater andlesser tone (ormajor andminor tone) are rarely used with a different meaning. Namely, they are used to indicate the two distinct kinds of whole tone, more commonly and more appropriately calledmajor second (M2) anddiminished third (d3). Similarly,major semitones andminor semitones are more often and more appropriately referred to asminor seconds (m2) andaugmented unisons (A1), ordiatonic andchromaticsemitones.
Unlike most uses of the termsmajor andminor, these intervals span thesame number of semitones. They both span 2 semitones, while, for example, amajor third (4 semitones) andminor third (3 semitones) differ by one semitone. Thus, to avoid ambiguity, it is preferable to call themgreater tone andlesser tone (see also greater and lesserdiesis).
Two major tones equal aditone.
InPythagorean music theory, theepogdoon (Ancient Greek:ἐπόγδοον) is theinterval with the ratio 9 to 8. The word is composed of the prefixepi- meaning "on top of" andogdoon meaning "one eighth"; so it means "one eighth in addition". For example, the natural numbers are 8 and 9 in this relation (8+(×8)=9).
According toPlutarch, the Pythagoreans hated the number 17 because it separates the 16 from its Epogdoon 18.[14]
"[Epogdoos] is the 9:8 ratio that corresponds to the tone, [hêmiolios] is the 3:2 ratio that is associated with the musical fifth, and [epitritos] is the 4:3 ratio associated with the musical fourth. It is common to translateepogdoos as 'tone' [major second]."[15]
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