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Minor third
 
 
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A minor third is a musical interval
Interval (music)

In music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitch of two notes.Intervals may be described as:*vertical if the two notes sound simultaneously...
 of three semitone
Semitone

A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone,Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and others use "half tone".One source says that step is "chiefly US", and that half-tone is "chiefly N....
s. It is the smaller of two commonly occurring musical intervals compounded of two steps of the diatonic scale
Diatonic scale

In music theory, a diatonic scale is a seven note musical scale comprising five whole steps and two half steps, in which the half steps are maximally separated....
. The prefix 'minor' identifies it as being the smaller of the two (by one semitone); its larger counterpart being a major third
Major third

A major third is one of two commonly occurring musical intervals that span three diatonic scale degrees, the other being the minor third. It is denoted 'major' because it is the larger of the two: the major third is a leap of four semitones, the minor third three....
. The minor third is abbreviated as m3 and its inversion
Inversion (music)

In music theory, the word inversion has several meanings. There are inverted chords, inverted melodies, inverted intervals, and inverted voices....
 is the major sixth
Major sixth

A major sixth is the larger of two commonly occurring musical intervals that span six diatonic scale degrees. The prefix 'major' identifies it as being the larger of the two ; its smaller counterpart being a minor sixth....
.

The minor scale
Minor scale

A minor scale in music theory is a diatonic scale with a third scale degree at an Interval of a minor third above the Tonic . While this definition encompasses Musical mode with the minor third, such as Dorian mode, the term may more usually refer only to the natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scales, descri...
 is so named because of the presence of this interval between its tonic
Tonic (music)

The tonic is the first note of a scale in the tonality method of musical composition. The chord #The Triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord ....
 and mediant
Mediant

In music, the mediant is the third degree of the diatonic Scale , being the "middle" note of the Tonic triad .In music theory, the mediant chord is symbolized by the Roman numeral III if it is major or iii if it is minor....
 (1st and 3rd) scale degrees. Minor chord
Minor chord

In music theory, a minor chord is a chord having a Root , a minor third, and a perfect fifth.When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a minor Triad ....
s too, take their name from the presence of this interval built on the chord's root
Root (chord)

In music the root of a chord is the note or pitch upon which that chord is perceived or labelled as being built or tonality centered upon. This feeling of centeredness is aurally perceivable for those who grew up with European music, and its verbal labelling is a basic skill for the musically trained....
 (provided that the interval of a perfect fifth
Perfect fifth

The perfect fifth is the musical interval between a note and the note seven semitones above it on the musical scale. For example, the note G lies a perfect fifth above C; D is a perfect fifth above G, C is a perfect fifth above F, and so on....
 from the root is also present or implied).

A minor third in just intonation
Just intonation

In music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequency of notes are related by ratios of whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval; in other words, the two notes are members of the same harmonic series ....
 corresponds to a pitch ratio of 6:5 .






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Encyclopedia


A minor third is a musical interval
Interval (music)

In music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitch of two notes.Intervals may be described as:*vertical if the two notes sound simultaneously...
 of three semitone
Semitone

A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone,Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and others use "half tone".One source says that step is "chiefly US", and that half-tone is "chiefly N....
s. It is the smaller of two commonly occurring musical intervals compounded of two steps of the diatonic scale
Diatonic scale

In music theory, a diatonic scale is a seven note musical scale comprising five whole steps and two half steps, in which the half steps are maximally separated....
. The prefix 'minor' identifies it as being the smaller of the two (by one semitone); its larger counterpart being a major third
Major third

A major third is one of two commonly occurring musical intervals that span three diatonic scale degrees, the other being the minor third. It is denoted 'major' because it is the larger of the two: the major third is a leap of four semitones, the minor third three....
. The minor third is abbreviated as m3 and its inversion
Inversion (music)

In music theory, the word inversion has several meanings. There are inverted chords, inverted melodies, inverted intervals, and inverted voices....
 is the major sixth
Major sixth

A major sixth is the larger of two commonly occurring musical intervals that span six diatonic scale degrees. The prefix 'major' identifies it as being the larger of the two ; its smaller counterpart being a minor sixth....
.

The minor scale
Minor scale

A minor scale in music theory is a diatonic scale with a third scale degree at an Interval of a minor third above the Tonic . While this definition encompasses Musical mode with the minor third, such as Dorian mode, the term may more usually refer only to the natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scales, descri...
 is so named because of the presence of this interval between its tonic
Tonic (music)

The tonic is the first note of a scale in the tonality method of musical composition. The chord #The Triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord ....
 and mediant
Mediant

In music, the mediant is the third degree of the diatonic Scale , being the "middle" note of the Tonic triad .In music theory, the mediant chord is symbolized by the Roman numeral III if it is major or iii if it is minor....
 (1st and 3rd) scale degrees. Minor chord
Minor chord

In music theory, a minor chord is a chord having a Root , a minor third, and a perfect fifth.When a chord has these three notes alone, it is called a minor Triad ....
s too, take their name from the presence of this interval built on the chord's root
Root (chord)

In music the root of a chord is the note or pitch upon which that chord is perceived or labelled as being built or tonality centered upon. This feeling of centeredness is aurally perceivable for those who grew up with European music, and its verbal labelling is a basic skill for the musically trained....
 (provided that the interval of a perfect fifth
Perfect fifth

The perfect fifth is the musical interval between a note and the note seven semitones above it on the musical scale. For example, the note G lies a perfect fifth above C; D is a perfect fifth above G, C is a perfect fifth above F, and so on....
 from the root is also present or implied).

A minor third in just intonation
Just intonation

In music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequency of notes are related by ratios of whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval; in other words, the two notes are members of the same harmonic series ....
 corresponds to a pitch ratio of 6:5 . In an equal tempered tuning, a minor third is equal to three semitone
Semitone

A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone,Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and others use "half tone".One source says that step is "chiefly US", and that half-tone is "chiefly N....
s, a ratio of 1:23/12 (approximately 1:1.189), or 300 cents, 15.641 cent
Cent (music)

The cent is a logarithmic scale unit of measure used for musical interval . Typically cents are used to measure extremely small intervals, or to compare the sizes of comparable intervals in different tuning systems, and in fact the interval of one cent is much too small to be heard between successive notes....
s smaller. In other meantone
Meantone temperament

Meantone temperament is a musical temperament, which is a system of musical tuning. In general, a meantone is constructed the same way as Pythagorean tuning, as a chain of perfect fifths, but in a meantone, each fifth is narrowed by the same amount in order to make the other intervals, like the major third, closer to their ideal just intonat...
 tunings it is larger, and in 19 equal temperament
19 equal temperament

In music, 19 equal temperament, called 19-TET, 19-equal division of the octave, or 19-ET, is the Temperament scale derived by dividing the octave into 19 equally large steps....
 it is very nearly the 6:5 ratio of just intonation.

Other pitch ratios are given related names, the septimal minor third
Septimal minor third

In music, the septimal minor third , also called the subminor third is the musical interval exactly or approximately equal to a 7/6 ratio of frequencies....
 with ratio 7:6 and the tridecimal minor third with ratio 13:11 in particular.

The minor third is classed as an imperfect consonance
Consonance and dissonance

In music, a consonance is a harmony, Chord , or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance ? considered unstable . The strictest definition of consonance may be only those sounds which are pleasant, while the most general definition includes any sounds which are used freely....
 and is considered one of the most consonant intervals after the unison
UNISON

UNISON ? the Public Service Union is the second largest trade union in the United Kingdom, with over 1.3 million members.It was formed in 1993 when three previous public sector trade unions, the National Association of Local Government Officers , the National Union of Public Employees and the Confederation of Health Service Employees merg...
, octave
Octave

In music, an octave The octave is occasionally referred to as a diapason.The octave above an indicated note is sometimes abbreviated 8va, and the octave below 8vb....
, perfect fifth
Perfect fifth

The perfect fifth is the musical interval between a note and the note seven semitones above it on the musical scale. For example, the note G lies a perfect fifth above C; D is a perfect fifth above G, C is a perfect fifth above F, and so on....
, and perfect fourth
Perfect fourth

The perfect fourth is a musical interval which spans four diatonic scale scale degree. It consists of the note and the note five semitones above it on the musical scale....
.

Instruments in A are a minor 3rd lower than the written pitch in the concert pitch, i.e. how they are heard. Therefore, to get the written pitch, transpose the concert pitch up a minor 3rd.

See also

  • musical tuning
    Musical tuning

    In music, there are two common meanings for tuning:* #Tuning practice, the act of tuning an instrument or voice.* #Tuning systems, the various systems of Pitch used to tune an instrument, and their theoretical basis....
  • semiditono
  • List of meantone intervals
    List of meantone intervals

    The following is a list of intervals of meantone temperament. These intervals constitute the standard vocabulary of intervals for the Western common practice era....