In music theory, a minor third is a musical interval that encompasses three half steps, or semitones. Staff notation represents the minor third as encompassing three staff positions (see: interval number). The minor third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. It is called minor because it is the smaller of the two: the major third spans an additional semitone. For example, the interval from A to C is a minor third, as the note C lies three semitones above A. Coincidentally, there are three staff positions from A to C. Diminished and augmented thirds span the same number of staff positions, but consist of a different number of semitones (two and five). The minor third is a skip melodically.
Notable examples of ascending minor thirds include the opening two notes of "Greensleeves" and of "Light My Fire".
The minor third may be derived from the harmonic series as the interval between the fifth and sixth harmonics, or from the 19th harmonic.
The minor third is commonly used to express sadness in music, and research shows that this mirrors its use in speech, as a tone similar to a minor third is produced during sad speech.[2] It is also a quartal (based on an ascendance of one or more perfect fourths) tertian interval, as opposed to the major third's quintality. The minor third is also obtainable in reference to a fundamental note from the undertone series, while the major third is obtainable as such from the overtone series. (See Otonality and Utonality.)
The minor scale is so named because of the presence of this interval between its tonic and mediant (1st and 3rd) scale degrees. Minor chords too take their name from the presence of this interval built on the chord's root (provided that the interval of a perfect fifth from the root is also present or implied).
A minor third, in just intonation, corresponds to a pitch ratio of 6:5 or 315.64 cents. In an equal tempered tuning, a minor third is equal to three semitones, a ratio of 21/4:1 (about 1.189), or 300 cents, 15.64 cents narrower than the 6:5 ratio. In other meantone tunings it is wider, and in 19 equal temperament it is very nearly the 6:5 ratio of just intonation; in more complex schismatic temperaments, such as 53 equal temperament, the "minor third" is often significantly flat (being close to Pythagorean tuning (playⓘ)), although the "augmented second" produced by such scales is often within ten cents of a pure 6:5 ratio. If a minor third is tuned in accordance with the fundamental of the overtone series, the result is a ratio of 19:16 or 297.51 cents (the nineteenth harmonic).[3] The 12-TET minor third (300 cents) more closely approximates the nineteenth harmonic with only 2.49 cents error.[4] M. Ergo mistakenly claimed that the nineteenth harmonic was the highest ever written, for the bass-trumpet in Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (1848 to 1874), when Robert Schumann's Op. 86 Konzertstück for 4 Horns and Orchestra (1849) features the twentieth harmonic (four octaves and major third above the fundamental) in the first horn part three times.[5]
Other pitch ratios are given related names, the septimal minor third with ratio 7:6 and the tridecimal minor third with ratio 13:11 in particular.
The sopranino saxophone and E♭ clarinet sound in the concert pitch ( C ) a minor third higher than the written pitch; therefore, to get the sounding pitch one must transpose the written pitch up a minor third. Instruments in A – most commonly the A clarinet, sound a minor third lower than the written pitch.
Pythagorean minor thirdEdit
Semiditone as two octaves minus three justly tuned fifths
^Haluska, Jan (2003). The Mathematical Theory of Tone Systems, p. xxiv. ISBN0-8247-4714-3. 19th harmonic, overtone minor tone.
^Curtis, M. E.; Bharucha, J. J. (June 2010). "The minor third communicates sadness in speech, mirroring its use in music". Emotion. 10 (3): 335–348. doi:10.1037/a0017928. PMID 20515223.
^Dowsett, Peter (2015). Audio Production Tips: Getting the Sound Right at the Source, p. 3.6.3. CRC. ISBN9781317614203. "The minor third, however, does not appear in the harmonic series until the nineteenth harmonic. Your ear almost expects to hear the major third ([on A:] C♯), and when that is replaced with a more distantly related note, this makes the listener feel more 'unpleasant', 'tense', or 'sad'."
^Alexander J. Ellis (translating Hermann Helmholtz): On the Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the Theory of Music, p. 455. Dover Publications, New York, 1954. "16:19...The 19th harmonic, ex. 297.513 [cents]". Later reprintings: ISBN1-150-36602-8 or ISBN1-143-49451-2.
^Prout, Ebenezer (December 1, 1908). "In the Forecourts of Instrumentation", The Monthly Musical Record. p. 268.
^Paul, Oscar (1885). A manual of harmony for use in music-schools and seminaries and for self-instruction, p. 165. Theodore Baker, trans. G. Schirmer.
September 28, 2023
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In music theory a minor third is a musical interval that encompasses three half steps or semitones Staff notation represents the minor third as encompassing three staff positions see interval number The minor third is one of two commonly occurring thirds It is called minor because it is the smaller of the two the major third spans an additional semitone For example the interval from A to C is a minor third as the note C lies three semitones above A Coincidentally there are three staff positions from A to C Diminished and augmented thirds span the same number of staff positions but consist of a different number of semitones two and five The minor third is a skip melodically Minor thirdInversemajor sixthNameOther namessesquitoneAbbreviationm3SizeSemitones3Interval class3Just interval6 5 19 16 32 27 1 CentsEqual temperament300Just intonation316 298 294Minor third source source source equal tempered source source source just 6 5 19th harmonic 19 16 E19 source source source Comparison in cents of intervals at or near a minor third source source source source source source source source source source source source source source Jazz and rock bassist Joseph Patrick Moore introducing a cycle of minor thirds Notable examples of ascending minor thirds include the opening two notes of Greensleeves and of Light My Fire The minor third may be derived from the harmonic series as the interval between the fifth and sixth harmonics or from the 19th harmonic The minor third is commonly used to express sadness in music and research shows that this mirrors its use in speech as a tone similar to a minor third is produced during sad speech 2 It is also a quartal based on an ascendance of one or more perfect fourths tertian interval as opposed to the major third s quintality The minor third is also obtainable in reference to a fundamental note from the undertone series while the major third is obtainable as such from the overtone series See Otonality and Utonality The minor scale is so named because of the presence of this interval between its tonic and mediant 1st and 3rd scale degrees Minor chords too take their name from the presence of this interval built on the chord s root provided that the interval of a perfect fifth from the root is also present or implied A minor third in just intonation corresponds to a pitch ratio of 6 5 or 315 64 cents In an equal tempered tuning a minor third is equal to three semitones a ratio of 21 4 1 about 1 189 or 300 cents 15 64 cents narrower than the 6 5 ratio In other meantone tunings it is wider and in 19 equal temperament it is very nearly the 6 5 ratio of just intonation in more complex schismatic temperaments such as 53 equal temperament the minor third is often significantly flat being close to Pythagorean tuning play although the augmented second produced by such scales is often within ten cents of a pure 6 5 ratio If a minor third is tuned in accordance with the fundamental of the overtone series the result is a ratio of 19 16 or 297 51 cents the nineteenth harmonic 3 The 12 TET minor third 300 cents more closely approximates the nineteenth harmonic with only 2 49 cents error 4 M Ergo mistakenly claimed that the nineteenth harmonic was the highest ever written for the bass trumpet in Richard Wagner s Der Ring des Nibelungen 1848 to 1874 when Robert Schumann s Op 86 Konzertstuck for 4 Horns and Orchestra 1849 features the twentieth harmonic four octaves and major third above the fundamental in the first horn part three times 5 Other pitch ratios are given related names the septimal minor third with ratio 7 6 and the tridecimal minor third with ratio 13 11 in particular The minor third is classed as an imperfect consonance and is considered one of the most consonant intervals after the unison octave perfect fifth and perfect fourth The sopranino saxophone and E clarinet sound in the concert pitch C a minor third higher than the written pitch therefore to get the sounding pitch one must transpose the written pitch up a minor third Instruments in A most commonly the A clarinet sound a minor third lower than the written pitch Pythagorean minor third Edit nbsp Semiditone as two octaves minus three justly tuned fifths nbsp Semiditone 32 27 on C source source source In music theory a semiditone or Pythagorean minor third 6 is the interval 32 27 approximately 294 13 cents It is the minor third in Pythagorean tuning The 32 27 Pythagorean minor third arises in the 5 limit justly tuned major scale between the 2nd and 4th degrees in the C major scale between D and F 7 Play It can be thought of as two octaves minus three justly tuned fifths It is narrower than a justly tuned minor third by a syntonic comma Its inversion is a Pythagorean major sixth See also EditMusical tuning List of meantone intervals Pythagorean intervalReferences Edit Haluska Jan 2003 The Mathematical Theory of Tone Systems p xxiv ISBN 0 8247 4714 3 19th harmonic overtone minor tone Curtis M E Bharucha J J June 2010 The minor third communicates sadness in speech mirroring its use in music Emotion 10 3 335 348 doi 10 1037 a0017928 PMID 20515223 Dowsett Peter 2015 Audio Production Tips Getting the Sound Right at the Source p 3 6 3 CRC ISBN 9781317614203 The minor third however does not appear in the harmonic series until the nineteenth harmonic Your ear almost expects to hear the major third on A C and when that is replaced with a more distantly related note this makes the listener feel more unpleasant tense or sad Alexander J Ellis translating Hermann Helmholtz On the Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the Theory of Music p 455 Dover Publications New York 1954 16 19 The 19th harmonic ex 297 513 cents Later reprintings ISBN 1 150 36602 8 or ISBN 1 143 49451 2 Prout Ebenezer December 1 1908 In the Forecourts of Instrumentation The Monthly Musical Record p 268 John Fonville Ben Johnston s Extended Just Intonation A Guide for Interpreters p 124 Perspectives of New Music vol 29 no 2 Summer 1991 pp 106 137 Paul Oscar 1885 A manual of harmony for use in music schools and seminaries and for self instruction p 165 Theodore Baker trans G Schirmer Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Minor third amp oldid 1144833623, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
