Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 1 of 18

Interval (music)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In music theory, an interval is a combination of two

notes, or the ratio between their frequencies. Two-
note combinations are also called dyads. Although
chords are often defined as sets of three or more
notes, intervals are sometimes considered to be the
simplest kind of chord.[1]

Intervals may be described as:[2]

Melodic and harmonic intervals. Play
■ Vertical or harmonic, if the two notes
sound simultaneously
■ Horizontal, linear, or melodic if they sound successively.

In Western culture, the most common method to classify and name intervals is based on their quality
(perfect, major, minor, etc.) and number (unison, second, third, etc.). For instance, two frequently
used types of interval are called minor third and major third (see below for further details). Intervals
may be also classified as:

■ Diatonic intervals, between the notes of a diatonic scale, or

■ Chromatic intervals, non-diatonic intervals between the notes of a chromatic scale.

Minute intervals (commas, and microtones) can be formed by the notes of musical scales containing
more than 12 pitches (e.g., by the notes A♭ and G♯ found in some extended scales), or by two notes
having the same name, but tuned a different way (e.g., the syntonic comma is sometimes defined as
the difference between an F♯ tuned using the D-based Pythagorean system, and another F♯ tuned
using the D-based quarter-comma meantone system). They are sometimes so small that the
difference in pitch between the two notes cannot be perceived.

Contents
■ 1 Interval width
■ 1.1 Frequency ratios
■ 1.2 Cents
■ 2 Main intervals
■ 3 Interval number and quality
■ 3.1 Number
■ 3.2 Quality
■ 3.3 Example
■ 4 Shorthand notation
■ 5 Intervals in chords
■ 5.1 Chord qualities and interval qualities
■ 5.2 Deducing component intervals from chord names and symbols
■ 6 Classification
■ 6.1 Melodic and harmonic
■ 6.2 Diatonic and chromatic
■ 6.3 Consonant and dissonant
■ 6.4 Simple and compound

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 2 of 18

■ 6.5 Steps and skips

■ 6.6 Enharmonic intervals
■ 7 Size of intervals used in different tuning systems
■ 8 Minute intervals
■ 9 Inversion
■ 10 Interval root
■ 11 Interval cycles
■ 12 Alternative interval naming conventions
■ 12.1 Pitch-class intervals
■ 12.2 Generic and specific intervals
■ 12.3 Comparison
■ 13 Generalizations and non-pitch uses
■ 14 See also
■ 15 Notes
■ 16 External links

Interval width
The size or width of an interval can be represented using two alternative and equivalently valid
methods, each appropriate to a different context: frequency ratios or cents.

Frequency ratios
Main article: Interval ratio

The size of an interval between two pitches may be measured by the ratio of their frequencies.
Important intervals are those measured by small-number ratios, such as 1:1 (unison or prime), 2:1
(octave), 3:2 (perfect fifth), 4:3 (perfect fourth), 5:4 (major third) etc. (see: Limit in music). This
system is frequently used to describe intervals in both Western and non-Western music. This method
is also often used in just intonation, and in theoretical explanations of equal-tempered intervals used
in European tonal music, to explain them through their approximation of just intervals.

Cents
Main article: Cent (music)

The standard system for comparing interval sizes is with cents. This is a logarithmic scale in which
the octave is divided into 1200 equal parts. In equal temperament, each semitone is exactly 100
cents.

The size in cents of the interval from frequency f1 to frequency f2 is

Main intervals
The table shows the most widely used conventional names for the intervals between the notes of a
chromatic scale. A semitone is any interval between two adjacent notes in a chromatic scale, a whole
tone is any interval spanning two semitones, and a tritone is any interval spanning three tones, or six

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 3 of 18

semitones. In Latin nomenclature, the term ditonus was originally used to indicate any interval
composed of two tones, but in current English the corresponding term ditone is used with a much
more specific meaning, to refer only to a major third with frequency ratio 81:64.

Intervals with different names but spanning the same number of semitones may have the same width,
provided that the instrument is tuned so that the 12 notes of the chromatic scale are equally spaced (a
commonly used tuning system called equal temperament). However, they are defined by different
notes. For instance, the interval from D to F♯ is a major third, while that from D to G♭ is a
diminished fourth, although they have identical width in equal temperament (4 semitones, or 400
cents).

Except for the Latin ones, the names listed here cannot be determined by counting semitones alone.
The rules to determine them are explained below. Other names, determined with different naming
conventions, are listed in a separate section.

Number of Latin
Diatonic interval Short Chromatic interval Short Short Audio
semitones nomenclature
0 Perfect Unison P1 Diminished second d2 Play
1 Minor second m2 Augmented unison A1 Semitone S Play
2 Major second M2 Diminished third d3 Whole tone T Play
3 Minor third m3 Augmented second A2 Play
4 Major third M3 Diminished fourth d4 Play
5 Perfect fourth P4 Augmented third A3 Play
Diminished fifth d5
6 Tritone TT Play
Augmented fourth A4
7 Perfect fifth P5 Diminished sixth d6 Play
8 Minor sixth m6 Augmented fifth A5 Play
9 Major sixth M6 Diminished seventh d7 Play
10 Minor seventh m7 Augmented sixth A6 Play
11 Major seventh M7 Diminished octave d8 Play
12 Perfect octave P8 Augmented seventh A7 Play

Interval number and quality

In Western music theory, to
name an interval we typically
need to determine its number
(also called diatonic number) and
quality. For instance, major third
(or M3) is an interval name, in Interval names (assuming treble clef)
which the term major (M)
describes the quality of the
interval, and third (3) indicates its number.

Number

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 4 of 18

As shown above, intervals

are labeled according to the
number of staff positions
they encompass. Both the
lines and the gaps between
lines are counted, including
the position of the lower
Staff, with staff positions indicated. note. For instance, the
number of staff positions
from C to G is 5, therefore the interval C-G is a fifth (denoted P5 in the figure above).

In a diatonic scale, the number of staff positions coincides with the number of scale steps. This is not
true for other kinds of scales, such as the chromatic scale. However, if you take away any accidentals
from the notes which form an interval, by definition the notes do not change their staff position. As a
consequence, the interval number for any chromatic interval is the same as the interval number of the
diatonic interval formed by the two notes without accidentals. This is the reason why interval
numbers are also called diatonic interval numbers, and this convention is called diatonic interval
numbering.

The rule to determine the diatonic number of a compound interval (an interval larger than one
octave), based on the diatonic numbers of the simple intervals from which it is built is explained in a
separate section.

Quality
The name of any interval is further qualified using the terms perfect (P), major (M), minor (m),
augmented (A), and diminished (d). This is called its interval quality. It is possible to have doubly
diminished and doubly augmented intervals, but these are quite rare, as they occur only in chromatic
contexts. The quality of a compound interval is the quality of the simple interval on which it is based
(see Interval (music)#Simple and compound for details).

Major/minor
Major and minor intervals are so-called because certain diatonic intervals (seconds, thirds, sixths,
sevenths, and their compounds) may occur in two sizes in the diatonic scale. The larger of the two
versions is called major, the smaller one minor. For example, the third occurs both as three
semitones away from Re, Mi, La, and Ti in the major scale (or in the C major diatonic scale, three
semitones above D, E, A, and B), and four semitones away from Do, Fa, and Sol, (or C, F, and G).
The smaller, three-semitone version is called the "minor third" and the larger, four-semitone one is
called the "major third". Major intervals invert to minor ones, and vice-versa. For example, a major
second inverts to a minor seventh, and the reverse.

Perfect
Perfect intervals are so-called because of their high levels of consonance, and because the inversion
of a perfect interval is also perfect. Other kinds of intervals have an opposite quality with respect to
their inversion. The inversion of a major interval is a minor interval, the inversion of an augmented
interval is a diminished interval. Within the diatonic scale all fourths and fifths are perfect, with five
and seven semitones respectively, except for one occurrence each of six semitones: the fourth
between Fa and Ti (an augmented fourth), and its inversion, i.e., the fifth between Ti and Fa (a
diminished fifth).

Augmented/diminished
Augmented and diminished intervals are so called because they exceed or fall short of either a
perfect interval, or a major/minor pair by one semitone, while having the same interval number (i.e.,
encompassing the same number of staff positions). Except for the augmented fourth (Fa-Ti) and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 5 of 18

diminished fifth (Ti-Fa), they do not appear in the diatonic scale. For instance, there is no three-
semitone interval in the diatonic scale that functions as a second, and the augmented second (e.g., E♭
–F♯) is three semitones wide.

Example
Neither the number, nor the quality of an interval can be determined by counting semitones alone. As
explained above, the number of staff positions must be taken into account as well.

For example, as shown in the table below, there are four semitones between A and C♯, between A
and D♭, between A♯ and D, and between A♭ and B♯, but

■ the interval A-C♯ is called a major third (as it spans 3 staff positions),
■ the intervals A-D♭ and A♯-D are called diminished fourths (as they span 4 staff positions),
■ the interval A♭-B♯ is called a doubly augmented second (as it spans 2 staff positions).

Number Staff positions

Interval name
of semitones 1 2 3 4
4 major third A C♯
4 diminished fourth A D♭
4 diminished fourth A♯ D
4 doubly augmented second A♭ B♯

The diminished fourth is an interval found between the seventh and third degrees of the harmonic
minor scale, while the doubly augmented second only occurs in entirely chromatic contexts. In equal
-tempered tuning, as on a piano, these intervals are indistinguishable by sound when played in
isolation, but in musical context the diatonic function of the notes incorporated is very different.

Shorthand notation
Intervals are often abbreviated with a P for perfect, m for minor, M for major, d for diminished, A
for augmented, followed by the interval number. The indication M and P are often omitted. The
octave is P8, and a unison is usually referred to simply as "a unison" but can be labeled P1. The
tritone, an augmented fourth or diminished fifth is often TT. The interval qualities may be also
abbreviated with perf, min, maj, dim, aug. Examples:

■ m2 (or min2): minor second,

■ M3 (or maj3): major third,
■ A4 (or aug4): augmented fourth,
■ d5 (or dim5): diminished fifth,
■ P5 (or perf5): perfect fifth.

Intervals in chords
Main articles: Chord (music) and Chord names and symbols (jazz and pop music)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 6 of 18

Chords are sets of three or more notes. They are typically defined as the combination of intervals
starting from a common note called the root of the chord. For instance a major triad is a chord
containing three notes defined by the root and two intervals (major third and perfect fifth).
Sometimes even a single interval (dyad) is considered to be a chord.[1] Chords are classified based on
the quality and number of the intervals which define them.

Chord qualities and interval qualities

The main chord qualities are: major, minor, augmented, diminished, half-diminished, and dominant.
The symbols used for chord quality are similar to those used for interval quality (see above). In
ø
addition, + or aug is used for augmented, ° or dim for diminished, for half diminished, and dom
for dominant (the symbol − alone is not used for diminished).

Deducing component intervals from chord names and symbols

The main rules to decode chord names or symbols are summarized below. Further details are given
at Chord names and symbols (jazz and pop music)#Rules to decode chord names and symbols.

1. For 3-note chords (triads), major or minor always refer to the third interval, while augmented
and diminished always refer to the fifth. The same is true for the corresponding symbols (e.g.,
Cm means Cm3, and C+ means C+5). Thus, the terms third and fifth and the corresponding
symbols 3 and 5 are typically omitted. This rule can be generalized to all kinds of chords,[3]
provided the above mentioned qualities appear immediately after the root note, or at the
beginning of the chord name or symbol. For instance, in the chord symbols Cm and Cm7, m
refers to the interval m3, and 3 is omitted. When these qualities do not appear immediately
after the root note, or at the beginning of the name or symbol, they should be considered
interval qualities, rather than chord qualities. For instance, in Cm/M7 (minor-major seventh
chord), m is the chord quality and refers to the m3 interval, while M refers to the M7 interval.
When the number of an extra interval is specified immediately after chord quality, the quality
of that interval may coincide with chord quality (e.g. CM7 = CM/M7). However, this is not
always true (e.g. Cm6 = Cm/M6, C+7 = C+/m7, CM11 = CM/P11).[3] See main article for
further details.
2. Without contrary information, a major third interval and a perfect fifth interval (major triad)
are implied. For instance, a C chord is a C major triad, and the name C minor seventh (Cm7)
implies a minor 3rd by rule 1, a perfect 5th by this rule, and a minor 7th by definition (see
below). This rule has one exception (see next rule).
3. When the fifth interval is diminished, the third must be minor.[4] This rule overrides rule 2. For
instance, Cdim7 implies a diminished 5th by rule 1, a minor 3rd by this rule, and a diminished
7th by definition (see below).
4. Names and symbols which contain only a plain interval number (e.g. “Seventh chord”) or the
chord root and a number (e.g. “C seventh”, or C7) are interpreted as follows:

■ If the number is 2, 4, 6, etc., the chord is a major added tone chord (e.g. C6 =
CM6 = Cadd6) and contains, together with the implied major triad, an extra
major 2nd, perfect 4th, or major 6th (see names and symbols for added tone
chords).
■ If the number is 7, 9, 11, 13, etc., the chord is dominant (e.g. C7 = Cdom7) and
contains, together with the implied major triad, one or more of the following
extra intervals: minor 7th, major 9th, perfect 11th, and major 13th (see names
and symbols for seventh and extended chords).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 7 of 18

The table shows the intervals contained in some of the main chords (component intervals), and
some of the symbols used to denote them. The interval qualities or numbers in boldface font can be
deduced from chord name or symbol by applying rule 1. In symbol examples, C is used as chord
root.

Main chords Component intervals

Name Symbol examples Third Fifth Seventh
C maj3 perf5
Major triad
CM, or Cmaj maj3 perf5
Minor triad Cm, or Cmin min3 perf5
Augmented triad C+, or Caug maj3 aug5
Diminished triad C°, or Cdim min3 dim5
Dominant seventh chord C7, or Cdom7 maj3 perf5 min7
Minor seventh chord Cm7, or Cmin7 min3 perf5 min7
Major seventh chord CM7, or Cmaj7 maj3 perf5 maj7
Augmented seventh chord C+7, or Caug7 maj3 aug5 min7
Diminished seventh chord C°7, or Cdim7 min3 dim5 dim7
Half-diminished seventh chord Cø7 min3 dim5 min7

Classification
Intervals can be
described, classified, or
compared with each other
according to various
criteria.

Melodic and
harmonic
Main articles:
Harmony and
Melody

An interval can be
described as

■ Vertical or The intervals contained in the table are diatonic to C major. All other intervals
harmonic if the are chromatic to C major.
two notes
sound
simultaneously
■ Horizontal, linear, or melodic if they sound successively.[5]

Diatonic and chromatic

Main article: Diatonic and chromatic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 8 of 18

A diatonic interval is an interval formed by two notes of a diatonic scale. The table on the right
depicts all diatonic intervals for C major. A chromatic interval is a non-diatonic interval formed by
two notes of a chromatic scale. Aside from tritones, all intervals that are either augmented or
diminished are chromatic, and the rest are diatonic.

Consonant and dissonant

Main article: Consonance and dissonance

Consonance and dissonance are relative terms that refer to the stability, or state of repose, of
particular musical effects. Dissonant intervals are those that cause tension, and desire to be resolved
to consonant intervals.

These terms are relative to the usage of different compositional styles.

■ In the Middle Ages, only the unison, octave, perfect fourth, and perfect fifth were
considered consonant harmonically.
■ In 15th- and 16th-century usage, perfect fifths and octaves, and major and minor thirds and
sixths were considered harmonically consonant, and all other intervals dissonant, including
the perfect fourth, which by 1473 was described (by Johannes Tinctoris) as dissonant,
except between the upper parts of a vertical sonority—for example, with a supporting third
below ("6-3 chords").[6] In the common practice period, it makes more sense to speak of
consonant and dissonant chords, and certain intervals previously thought to be dissonant
(such as minor sevenths) became acceptable in certain contexts. However, 16th-century
practice continued to be taught to beginning musicians throughout this period.
■ Hermann von Helmholtz (1821–1894) defined a harmonically consonant interval as one in
which the two pitches have an overtone in common (specifically excluding the seventh
harmonic). This essentially defines all seconds and sevenths as dissonant, while perfect
fourths and fifths, and major and minor thirds and sixths, are consonant.
■ Pythagoras defined a hierarchy of consonance based on how small the numbers are that
express the ratio. 20th-century composer and theorist Paul Hindemith's system has a
hierarchy with the same results as Pythagoras's, but defined by fiat rather than by interval
ratios, to better accommodate equal temperament, all of whose intervals (except the
octave) would be dissonant using acoustical methods.
■ David Cope (1997) suggests the concept of interval strength,[7] in which an interval's
strength, consonance, or stability is determined by its approximation to a lower and
stronger, or higher and weaker, position in the harmonic series. See also: Lipps-Meyer
law.

All of the above analyses refer to vertical (simultaneous) intervals.

Simple and compound

A simple interval is an interval spanning at most one octave. Intervals spanning more than one
octave are called compound intervals.[8]

In general, a compound interval may be defined by a sequence or "stack" of two or more simple
intervals of any kind. For instance, a major tenth (two staff positions above one octave), also called
compound major third, spans one octave plus one major third. A major seventeenth (two staff
positions above two octaves) is another example of compound major third, and can be built either by
adding up two octaves and one major third, or four perfect fifths.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 9 of 18

Any compound interval can be always decomposed into one or more octaves plus one simple
interval. For instance, a seventeenth can be always decomposed into two octaves and one major
third, and this is the reason why it is called a compound major third, even when it is built using four
fifths.

The diatonic number DNc of a compound interval formed from n simple intervals with diatonic
numbers DN1, DN2, ..., DNn, is determined by:

which can also be written as:

The quality of a compound interval is determined by the quality of the simple interval on which it is
based. For instance, a compound major third is a major tenth (1+(8-1)+(3-1) = 10), or a major
seventeenth (1+(8-1)+(8-1)+(3-1) = 17), and a compound perfect fifth is a perfect twelfth (1+(8-1)+
(5-1) = 12) or a perfect nineteenth (1+(8-1)+(8-1)+(5-1) = 19). Notice that two octaves are a
fifteenth, not a sixteenth (1+(8-1)+(8-1) = 15). Similarly, three octaves are a twenty-second (1+3*(8-
1) = 22), and so on.

Intervals larger than a seventeenth seldom need to be spoken of, most often being referred to by their
compound names, for example "two octaves plus a fifth"[9] rather than "a 19th".

Steps and skips

Linear (melodic) intervals may be described as steps or skips in a diatonic context. Steps are linear
intervals between consecutive scale degrees while skips are not, although if one of the notes is
chromatically altered so that the resulting interval is three semitones or more (e.g., C to D♯), that
may also be considered a skip. However, the reverse is not true: a diminished third, an interval
comprising two semitones, is still considered a skip.

The words conjunct and disjunct refer to melodies composed of steps and skips, respectively.

Enharmonic intervals
Main article: Enharmonic

Two intervals are considered to be enharmonic, or enharmonically equivalent, if they both contain
the same pitches spelled in different ways; that is, if the notes in the two intervals are themselves
enharmonically equivalent. Enharmonic intervals span the same number of semitones. For example,
as shown in the matrix below, F♯–A♯ (a major third), G♭–B♭ (also a major third), F♯–B♭ (a
diminished fourth), and G♭–A♯ (a doubly augmented second) are all enharmonically equivalent. In
fact, although they have a different name and staff position, F♯ and G♭ indicate the same pitch, and
the same is true for A♯ and B♭. As a consequence, all these intervals span four semitones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 10 of 18

Number Staff positions

Interval name
of semitones 1 2 3 4
4 major third F♯ A♯
4 major third G♭ B♭
4 diminished fourth F♯ B♭
4 doubly augmented second G♭ A♯

Size of intervals used in different tuning systems

5-limit Comparison of interval width (in cents)

Number tuning 1/4-
5-limit Pythagorean Equal
of (pitch comma
tuning tuning temperament
semitones Name ratio) meantone
0 Perfect unison 1:1 0 0 0 0
1 Minor second 16:15 112 90 117 100
2 Major second 9:8 204 204 193 200
6:5 316
294 310
3 Minor third 75:64 (wolf) 275 300
318 (wolf) 269
32:27 294
5:4 386
512:405 406 408 386
4 Major third 400
32:25 (wolf) 427 384 (wolf) 427
81:64 408
4:3 498
498 503
5 Perfect fourth 675:512 478 500
(wolf) 522 (wolf) 462
27:20 520
Augmented
fourth 45:32 590 612 579
6 600
Diminished 64:45 610 588 621
fifth
3:2 702
702 697
7 Perfect fifth 40:27 680 700
(wolf) 678 (wolf) 738
1024:675 722
8 Minor sixth 8:5 814 792 814 800
9 Major sixth 5:3 884 906 890 900
9:5 1018
10 Minor seventh 996 1007 1000
16:9 996
11 Major seventh 15:8 1088 1110 1083 1100
12 Perfect octave 2:1 1200 1200 1200 1200

In this table, the interval widths used in four different tuning systems are compared. To facilitate
comparison, just intervals as provided by 5-limit tuning (see symmetric scale n.1) are shown in bold
font, and the values in cents are rounded to integers. Notice that in each of the non-equal tuning
systems, by definition the width of each type of interval (including the semitone) changes depending

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 11 of 18

on the note from which the interval starts. This is the price paid for seeking just intonation. However,
for the sake of simplicity, for some types of interval the table shows only one value (the most often
observed one).

In 1/4-comma meantone, by definition 11 perfect fifths have a size of approximately 697 cents
(700−ε cents, where ε ≈ 3.42 cents); since the average size of the 12 fifths must equal exactly 700
cents (as in equal temperament), the other one must have a size of about 700+11ε cents, which is
about 738 cents (the wolf fifth); 8 major thirds have size about 386 cents (400−4ε), 4 have size about
427 cents (400+8ε), and their average size is 400 cents. In short, similar differences in width are
observed for all interval types, except for unisons and octaves, and they are all multiples of ε (the
difference between the 1/4-comma meantone fifth and the average fifth). A more detailed analysis is
provided at 1/4-comma meantone#Size of intervals. Note that 1/4-comma meantone was designed to
produce just major thirds, but only 8 of them are just (5:4, about 386 cents).

The Pythagorean tuning is characterized by smaller differences because they are multiples of a
smaller ε (ε ≈ 1.96 cents, the difference between the Pythagorean fifth and the average fifth). Notice
that here the fifth is wider than 700 cents, while in most meantone temperaments, including 1/4-
comma meantone, it is tempered to a size smaller than 700. A more detailed analysis is provided at
Pythagorean tuning#Size of intervals.

The 5-limit tuning system uses just tones and semitones as building blocks, rather than a stack of
perfect fifths, and this leads to even more varied intervals throughout the scale (each kind of interval
has three or four different sizes). A more detailed analysis is provided at 5-limit tuning#Size of
intervals. Note that 5-limit tuning was designed to maximize the number of just intervals, but even in
this system some intervals are not just (e.g., 3 fifths, 5 major thirds and 6 minor thirds are not just;
also, 3 major and 3 minor thirds are wolf intervals).

The above mentioned symmetric scale 1, defined in the 5-limit tuning system, is not the only method
to obtain just intonation. It is possible to construct juster intervals or just intervals closer to the equal-
tempered equivalents, but most of the ones listed above have been used historically in equivalent
contexts. In particular, the asymmetric version of the 5-limit tuning scale provides a juster value for
the minor seventh (9:5, rather than 16:9). Moreover, the tritone (augmented fourth or diminished
fifth), could have other just ratios; for instance, 7:5 (about 583 cents) or 17:12 (about 603 cents) are
possible alternatives for the augmented fourth (the latter is fairly common, as it is closer to the equal-
tempered value of 600 cents). The 7:4 interval (about 969 cents), also known as the harmonic
seventh, has been a contentious issue throughout the history of music theory; it is 31 cents flatter
than an equal-tempered minor seventh. Some assert the 7:4 is one of the blue notes used in jazz. For
further details about reference ratios, see 5-limit tuning#The justest ratios.

In the diatonic system, every interval has one or more enharmonic equivalents, such as augmented
second for minor third.

Minute intervals
Main articles: Comma and Microtone

There are also a number of minute intervals not found in the chromatic scale or labeled with a
diatonic function, which have names of their own. They may be described as microtones. Except for
the quarter tone, the equivalents in cents are approximate, and they can be also classified as commas,
as they describe small discrepancies, observed in some tuning systems, between enharmonically
equivalent notes.

■ A Pythagorean comma is the difference between twelve justly tuned perfect fifths and
seven octaves. It is expressed by the frequency ratio 531441:524288 (23.5 cents).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 12 of 18

■ A syntonic comma is the difference between four justly tuned perfect fifths and two
octaves plus a major third. It is expressed by the ratio 81:80 (21.5 cents).
■ A septimal comma is 64:63 (27.3 cents), and is the difference between the Pythagorean or
3-limit "7th" and the "harmonic 7th".
■ A diesis is generally used to mean the difference between three justly tuned major thirds
and one octave. It is expressed by the ratio 128:125 (41.1 cents). However, it has been
used to mean other small intervals: see diesis for details.
■ A diaschisma is the difference between three octaves and four justly tuned perfect fifths
plus two justly tuned major thirds. It is expressed by the ratio 2048:2025 (19.6 cents).
■ A schisma (also skhisma) is the difference between five octaves and eight justly tuned
fifths plus one justly tuned major third. It is expressed by the ratio 32805:32768 (2.0
cents). It is also the difference between the Pythagorean and syntonic commas. (A
schismic major third is a schisma different from a just major third, eight fifths down and
five octaves up, F♭ in C.)
■ A kleisma is the difference between six minor thirds and one tritave or perfect twelfth (an
octave plus a perfect fifth), with a frequency ratio of 15625:15552 (8.1 cents) ( Play ).
■ A septimal kleisma is six major thirds up, five fifths down and one octave up, with ratio
225:224 (7.7 cents).
■ A quarter tone is half the width of a semitone, which is half the width of a whole tone. It is
equal to exactly 50 cents.

See Musical interval mnemonics at Wikibooks for popular musical fragments that feature common
intervals

Inversion
Main article: Inversion (music)

A simple interval (i.e., an interval shorter

than or equal to an octave) may be
inverted by raising the lower pitch an
octave, or lowering the upper pitch an
octave. For example, the fourth from a
lower C to a higher F may be inverted to
make a fifth, from a lower F to a higher Interval inversions
C.

There are two rules to determine the

number and quality of the inversion of
any simple interval:[10]

1. The interval number and the

number of its inversion always add
up to nine (4 + 5 = 9, in the
example just given).
2. The inversion of a major interval is
a minor interval, and vice versa; Major 13th (compound Major 6th) inverts to a minor 3rd by
the inversion of a perfect interval moving the bottom note up two octaves, the top note down
is also perfect; the inversion of an two octaves, or both notes one octave
augmented interval is a diminished
interval, and vice versa; the
inversion of a doubly augmented interval is a doubly diminished interval, and vice versa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 13 of 18

For example, the interval from C to the E♭ above it is a minor third. By the two rules just given, the
interval from E♭ to the C above it must be a major sixth.

Since compound intervals are larger than an octave, "the inversion of any compound interval is
always the same as the inversion of the simple interval from which it is compounded."[11]

For intervals identified by their ratio, the inversion is determined by reversing the ratio and
multiplying by 2. For example, the inversion of a 5:4 ratio is an 8:5 ratio.

For intervals identified by an integer number of semitones, the inversion is obtained by subtracting
that number from 12.

Since an interval class is the lower number selected among the interval integer and its inversion,
interval classes cannot be inverted.

Interval root
Although intervals are usually designated in relation to their lower note, David Cope[7] and
Hindemith[12] both suggest the concept of interval root. To determine an interval's root, one locates
its nearest approximation in the harmonic series. The root of a perfect fourth, then, is its top note
because it is an octave of the fundamental in the hypothetical harmonic series. The bottom note of
every odd diatonically numbered intervals are the roots, as are the tops of all even numbered
intervals. The root of a collection of intervals or a chord is thus determined by the interval root of its
strongest interval.

As to its usefulness, Cope[7] provides the example of the final tonic chord of some popular music
being traditionally analyzable as a "submediant six-five chord" (added sixth chords by popular
terminology), or a first inversion seventh chord (possibly the dominant of the mediant V/iii).
According the interval root of the strongest interval of the chord (in first inversion, CEGA), the
perfect fifth (C–G), is the bottom C, the tonic.

Interval cycles
Main articles: Interval cycle and Identity (music)

Interval cycles, "unfold [i.e., repeat] a single recurrent interval in a series that closes with a return to
the initial pitch class", and are notated by George Perle using the letter "C", for cycle, with an
interval-class integer to distinguish the interval. Thus the diminished-seventh chord would be C3 and
the augmented triad would be C4. A superscript may be added to distinguish between transpositions,
using 0–11 to indicate the lowest pitch class in the cycle.[13]

Alternative interval naming conventions

As shown below, some of the above mentioned intervals have alternative names, and some of them
take a specific alternative name in Pythagorean tuning, five-limit tuning, or meantone temperament
tuning systems such as quarter-comma meantone. Notice that ditone and semiditone are specific for
Pythagorean tuning, while tone and tritone are used generically for all tuning systems. Interestingly,
despite its name, a semiditone (3 semitones, or about 300 cents) can hardly be viewed as half of a
ditone (4 semitones, or about 400 cents). All the intervals with prefix sesqui- are justly tuned, and
their frequency ratio, shown in the table, is a superparticular number (or epimoric ratio). The same is
true for the octave.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 14 of 18

The diminished second is a comma, but some commas are not diminished seconds. For instance, the
Pythagorean comma (531441:524288) is the opposite of a diminished second. 5-limit tuning defines
four kinds of comma, three of which meet the definition of diminished second, and hence are listed
in the table below. The fourth one, called syntonic comma (81:80) can neither be regarded as a
diminished second, nor as its opposite. See Five-limit tuning#Diminished seconds for further details.

Generic names Specific names

Number
Quality and 1/4-
of Other naming Pythagorean 5-limit
number comma
semitones conventions tuning tuning
Full Short meantone
lesser diesis (128:125)
descending
diminished Pythagorean diaschisma
0 d2 (2048:2025)
second comma
(524288:531441) greater diesis
(648:625)
diatonic
minor semitone,
m2 limma (256:243)
second minor
semitone, semitone
1 half tone,
half step chromatic
augmented semitone, apotome
A1
unison major (2187:2048)
semitone
diminished
d3
third tone, whole tone,
2
major whole step
M2 sesquioctavum (9:8)
second
minor semiditone sesquiquintum
3 m3
third (32:27) (6:5)
major
4 M3 ditone (81:64) sesquiquartum (5:4)
third
perfect
5 P4 diatessaron sesquitertium (4:3)
fourth
diminished
6 d5
fifth
tritone (TT)
augmented
6 A4
fourth
perfect
7 P5 diapente sesquialterum (3:2)
fifth
(perfect)
12 P8 diapason duplex (2:1)
octave

Additionally, some cultures around the world have their own names for intervals found in their
music. For instance, 22 kinds of intervals, called shrutis, are canonically defined in Indian classical
music.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 15 of 18

Pitch-class intervals
Main articles: Interval class and Ordered pitch interval

Post-tonal or atonal theory, originally developed for equal tempered European classical music
written using the twelve tone technique or serialism, integer notation is often used, most prominently
in musical set theory. In this system intervals are named according to the number of half steps, from
0 to 11, the largest interval class being 6.

In atonal or musical set theory there are numerous types of intervals, the first being ordered pitch
interval, the distance between two pitches upward or downward. For instance, the interval from C to
G upward is 7, but the interval from G to C downward is −7. One can also measure the distance
between two pitches without taking into account direction with the unordered pitch interval,
somewhat similar to the interval of tonal theory.

The interval between pitch classes may be measured with ordered and unordered pitch-class
intervals. The ordered one, also called directed interval, may be considered the measure upwards,
which, since we are dealing with pitch classes, depends on whichever pitch is chosen as 0. For
unordered pitch-class intervals, see interval class.[14]

Generic and specific intervals

Main articles: Specific interval and Generic interval

In diatonic set theory, specific and generic intervals are distinguished. Specific intervals are the
interval class or number of semitones between scale steps or collection members, and generic
intervals are the number of diatonic scale steps (or staff positions) between notes of a collection or
scale.

Notice that staff positions, when used to determine the conventional interval number (second, third,
fourth, etc.), are counted including the position of the lower note of the interval, while generic
interval numbers are counted excluding that position. Thus, generic interval numbers are smaller by
1, with respect to the conventional interval numbers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 16 of 18

Comparison

Specific interval
Number of semitones Interval class Generic interval Diatonic name
0 0 0 Perfect unison
1 1 1 Minor second
2 2 1 Major second
3 3 2 Minor third
4 4 2 Major third
5 5 3 Perfect fourth
3 Augmented fourth
6 6
4 Diminished fifth
7 5 4 Perfect fifth
8 4 5 Minor sixth
9 3 5 Major sixth
10 2 6 Minor seventh
11 1 6 Major seventh
12 0 7 Perfect octave

Generalizations and non-pitch uses

The term "interval" can also be generalized to other music elements besides pitch. David Lewin's
Generalized Musical Intervals and Transformations uses interval as a generic measure of distance to
show musical transformations that can change—for instance—one rhythm into another, or one
formal structure into another.[15][16]

See also
■ Circle of fifths
■ List of musical intervals
■ List of meantone intervals
■ Ear training
■ Pseudo-octave
■ Regular temperament

Notes
1. ^ a b Károlyi, Otto (1965), Introducing Music, p. 63. Hammondsworth (England), and New York:
Penguin Books. ISBN 0140206590.
2. ^ Lindley, Mark/Campbell, Murray/Greated, Clive. "Interval", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy
(accessed 27 February 2007), grovemusic.com (http://www.grovemusic.com/) (subscription access).
3. ^ a b General rule 1 achieves consistency in the interpretation of symbols such as CM7, Cm6, and C+7.
Some musicians legitimately prefer to think that, in CM7, M refers to the seventh, rather than to the third.
This alternative approach is legitimate, as both the third and seventh are major, yet it is inconsistent, as a
similar interpretation is impossible for Cm6 and C+7 (in Cm6, m cannot possibly refer to the sixth,
which is major by definition, and in C+7, + cannot refer to the seventh, which is minor). Both approaches

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 17 of 18

reveal only one of the intervals (M3 or M7), and require other rules to complete the task. Whatever is the
decoding method, the result is the same (e.g., CM7 is always conventionally decoded as C-E-G-B,
implying M3, P5, M7). The advantage of rule 1 is that it has no exceptions, which makes it the simplest
possible approach to decode chord quality.
According to the two approaches, some may format CM7 as CM7 (general rule 1: M refers to M3), and
others as CM7 (alternative approach: M refers to M7). Fortunately, even CM7 becomes compatible with
rule 1 if it is considered an abbreviation of CMM7, in which the first M is omitted. The omitted M is the
quality of the third, and is deduced according to rule 2 (see above), consistently with the interpretation of
the plain symbol C, which by the same rule stands for CM.
4. ^ All triads are tertian chords (chords defined by sequences of thirds), and a major third would produce
in this case a non-tertian chord. Namely, the diminished fifth spans 6 semitones from root, thus it may be
decomposed into a sequence of two minor thirds, each spanning 3 semitones (m3 + m3), compatible with
the definition of tertian chord. If a major third were used (4 semitones), this would entail a sequence
containing a major second (M3 + M2 = 4 + 2 semitones = 6 semitones), which would not meet the
definition of tertian chord.
5. ^ Lindley, Mark/Campbell, Murray/Greated, Clive . " Interval ", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy
(accessed 27 February 2007), grovemusic.com (http://www.grovemusic.com/) (subscription access).
6. ^ Drabkin, William (2001). "Fourth". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second
edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers.
7. ^ a b c Cope, David (1997). Techniques of the Contemporary Composer, pp. 40–41. New York, New
York: Schirmer Books. ISBN 0-02-864737-8.
8. ^ Wyatt, Keith (1998). Harmony & Theory…. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 77. ISBN 0793579910.
9. ^ Aikin, Jim (2004). A Player's Guide to Chords and Harmony: Music Theory for Real-World
Musicians, p. 24. ISBN 0-87930-798-6.
10. ^ Kostka, Stephen; Payne, Dorothy (2008). Tonal Harmony, p. 21. First Edition, 1984.
11. ^ Prout, Ebenezer (1903). Harmony: Its Theory and Practice, 16th edition. London: Augener & Co.
(facsimile reprint, St. Clair Shores, Mich.: Scholarly Press, 1970), p. 10. ISBN 0-403-00326-1.
12. ^ Hindemith, Paul (1934). The Craft of Musical Composition. New York: Associated Music Publishers.
Cited in Cope (1997), p. 40-41.
13. ^ Perle, George (1990). The Listening Composer, p. 21. California: University of California Press. ISBN
0-520-06991-9.
14. ^ Roeder, John. "Interval Class", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed 27 February 2007),
grovemusic.com (http://www.grovemusic.com/) (subscription access).
15. ^ Lewin, David (1987). Generalized Musical Intervals and Transformations, for example sections 3.3.1
and 5.4.2. New Haven: Yale University Press. Reprinted Oxford University Press, 2007. ISBN 978-0-19-
531713-8
16. ^ Ockelford, Adam (2005). Repetition in Music: Theoretical and Metatheoretical Perspectives, p. 7.
ISBN 0-7546-3573-2.

External links
■ Interval conversion: Frequency ratio to cents and cents to frequency ratio
(http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-centsratio.htm)
■ Encyclopaedia Britannica, Interval (http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-
9042627/interval)
■ Morphogenesis of chords and scales (http://www.lamadeguido.com/morphogenesis.htm)
Chords and scales classification
■ Lissajous Curves: Interactive simulation of graphical representations of musical intervals,
beats, interference, vibrating strings (http://gerdbreitenbach.de/lissajous/lissajous.html)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music)"
Categories: Intervals

■ This page was last modified on 27 July 2011 at 13:51.

■ Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional
terms may apply. See Terms of use for details.
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit
organization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011
Interval (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Page 18 of 18

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music) 19/08/2011