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In Western culture music theory, a major second (sometimes also called whole tone or a whole step) is a second spanning two (). A second is a musical interval encompassing two adjacent (see Interval 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 are Musical notation on adjacent staff positions. Diminished, Minor second and are notated on adjacent staff positions as well, but consist of a different number of semitones (zero, one, and three).
The major second is the interval that occurs between the first and second degrees of a major scale, the tonic and the supertonic. On a musical 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 two . In moveable-do solfège, it is the interval between do and re. It is considered a Melody step, as opposed to larger intervals called skips.
Intervals composed of two semitones, such as the major second and the diminished third, are also called tones, whole tones, or whole steps. In just intonation, major seconds can occur in at least two different :Leta E. Miller, Fredric Lieberman (2006). Lou Harrison, p.72. . 9:8 (about 203.9 cents) and 10:9 (about 182.4 cents). The largest (9:8) ones are called major tones or greater tones, the smallest (10:9) are called minor tones or lesser tones. Their size differs by exactly one syntonic comma (81:80, or about 21.5 cents). Some equal temperaments, such as 15-ET and 22-ET, also distinguish between a greater and a lesser tone.
The major second was historically considered one of the most dissonant intervals of the diatonic scale, although much 20th-century music saw it reimagined as a consonance. It is common in many different musical systems, including Arabic music, Turkish music and music of the Balkans, among others. It occurs in both diatonic and Pentatonic scale scales.
. Here, middle C is followed by D, which is a tone 200 cents sharper than C, and then by both tones together.
The major tone is the 9:8 intervalRoyal Society (Great Britain) (1880, digitized Feb 26, 2008). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Volume 30, p.531. Harvard University. , and it is an approximation thereof in other tuning systems, while the minor tone is the 10:9 ratio . The major tone may be derived from the harmonic 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 C major scale between D and E and between G and A, and is "a sharper dissonance" than 9:8.Paul, Oscar (1885) The 9:8 major tone arises in the C major scale between C and D, F and G, and A and B. This 9:8 interval was named epogdoon (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 the diminished third (for further details, see ).
Some equal temperaments also produce major seconds of two different sizes, called greater and lesser tones (or major and minor tones). For instance, this is true for 15-ET, 22-ET, 34-ET, 41-ET, 53-ET, and 72-ET. Conversely, in twelve-tone equal temperament, Pythagorean tuning, and meantone temperament (including 19-ET and 31-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 terms greater and lesser tone (or major and minor 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 called major second (M2) and diminished third (d3). Similarly, and are more often and more appropriately referred to as minor seconds (m2) and (A1), or diatonic and chromatic .
Unlike most uses of the terms major and minor, these intervals span the same number of semitones. They both span 2 semitones, while, for example, a major third (4 semitones) and minor third (3 semitones) differ by one semitone. Thus, to avoid ambiguity, it is preferable to call them greater tone and lesser tone (see also greater and lesser diesis).
Two major tones equal a ditone.
According to Plutarch, the Pythagoreans hated the number 17 because it separates the 16 from its Epogdoon 18.
" 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 translate epogdoos as 'tone' major."
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