Major second - Wikipedia

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_second

Major second
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Western music theory, a major second

(sometimes also called whole tone) is a second
spanning two semitones ( Play ). A second is a
musical interval encompassing two adjacent staff
positions (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 notated on adjacent staff
positions. Diminished, minor and augmented
seconds are notated on adjacent staff positions as
well, but consist of a different number of
semitones (zero, one, and three).

major second
Inverse

minor seventh
Name

Other names

whole tone, whole step

Abbreviation

M2
Size

Semitones

Interval class

Just interval

9:8 or 10:9

The major second is the interval that occurs

Cents
between the first and second degrees of a major
Equal temperament
200
scale, the tonic and the supertonic. On a musical
24 equal temperament 200
keyboard, a major second is the interval between
two keys separated by one key, counting white
Just intonation
204 or 182
and black keys alike. On a guitar string, it is the
interval separated by two frets. In moveable-do solfge, it is the
interval between do and re. It is considered a melodic 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.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
One source says step is "chiefly US."[7]
The preferred usage has been argued since the 19th century:
"Mr. M. in teaching the Diatonic scale calls a tone a step,
and a semitone a half step; now, who ever heard of a step
in music, or in sound ? Can any one suppose that a pupil
will understand the meaning of tone and semitone any
sooner by calling them step or half step, ?"[8]
" to use the term tone for a whole step is certainly
objectionable "[9]

Step: major second (major tone)

Play .

Minor tone (10:9)

Play .

In just intonation, major seconds can occur in at least two different frequency ratios:[10] 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

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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 scales.
Listen to a major second in equal temperament . Here, middle C is followed by D, which is a tone
200 cents sharper than C, and then by both tones together.

Contents
1 Major and minor tones
2 Epogdoon
2.1 Further reading
3 See also
4 References

Major and minor tones

In tuning systems using just intonation, such as 5-limit tuning,
in which major seconds occur in two different sizes, the wider
of them is called a major tone or greater tone, and the
narrower a minor tone or, lesser tone. The difference in size
between a major tone and a minor tone is equal to one syntonic
comma (about 21.51 cents).

Origin of large and small seconds

and thirds in harmonic series.[11]

The major tone is the 9:8 interval[12] play , and it is an

approximation thereof in other tuning systems, while the minor
tone is the 10:9 ratio[12] play . 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
Lesser tone on D. Play
between D and e and G and A, and is "a sharper dissonance"
than 9:8.[13][14] The 9:8 major tone arises in the C major scale
between C & D, F & G, and A & B.[13] 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,

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exists. This interval of two semitones, with ratio 256:225, is simply called the diminished third (for
further details, see Five-limit tuning#Size of intervals).
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
Comparison, in cents, of
terms greater and lesser tone (or major and minor tone) are rarely
intervals at or near a major
used with a different meaning. Namely, they are used to indicate
the two distinct kinds of whole tone, more commonly and more
second
appropriately called major second (M2) and diminished third (d3).
Similarly, major semitones and minor semitones are more often
and more appropriately referred to as minor seconds (m2) and augmented unisons (A2), or diatonic
and chromatic semitones.
Unlike almost all 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.

Epogdoon
In Pythagorean music theory, the epogdoon (Ancient Greek: ) is the interval with the ratio
9 to 8. The word is composed of the prefix epi- meaning "on top of" and ogdoon 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 to Plutarch, the Pythagoreans hated the number 17 because it separates the 16 from its
Epogdoon 18.[15]
"[Epogdoos] is the 9:8 ratio that corresponds to the tone, [hmiolios] 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 second]."[16]

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Detail of Raphael's School of

Athens showing epogdoon
diagram

Diagram showing relations

between epogdoon,
diatessaron, diapente, and
diapason

Translation

Further reading
Barker, Andrew (2007). The Science of Harmonics in Classical Greece. Cambridge
University Press. ISBN 9780521879514.
Plutarch (2005). Moralia. Translated by Frank Cole Babbitt. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN
9781417905003.

See also
Whole tone scale
Pythagorean interval
List of meantone intervals

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References
1. "Whole step - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary". Merriam-webster.com.
Retrieved 2015-02-25.
2. "Oxford Dictionaries - Dictionary, Thesaurus, & Grammar". Askoxford.com. 2015-02-11. Retrieved
2015-02-25.
3. "Whole step | Define Whole step at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
4. "Whole tone | Define Whole tone at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
5. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory - Michael Miller - Google Books". Books.google.com.
Retrieved 2015-02-25.
6. "Music Theory For Dummies - Michael Pilhofer, Holly Day - Google Books". Books.google.com.
2011-02-25. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
7. "Oxford Dictionaries - Dictionary, Thesaurus, & Grammar". Askoxford.com. 2015-02-11. Retrieved
2015-02-25.
8. "The Musical World - Google Books". Books.google.com. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
9. "Music: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Art, Science, Technic and ... - Google Books".
Books.google.com. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
10. Leta E. Miller, Fredric Lieberman (2006). Lou Harrison, p.72. ISBN 0-252-03120-2.
11. Leta E. Miller, ed. (1988). Lou Harrison: Selected keyboard and chamber music, 1937-1994, p.xliii.
ISBN 978-0-89579-414-7.
12. Royal Society (Great Britain) (1880, digitized Feb 26, 2008). Proceedings of the Royal Society of
London, Volume 30, p.531. Harvard University.
13. Paul, Oscar (1885)
14. "A Manual of Harmony for Use in Music-schools and Seminaries and for Self ... - Oscar Paul - Google
Books". Books.google.com. 2010-05-25. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
15. "Plutarch Isis and Osiris (Part 3 of 5)". Penelope.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
16. "Proclus : Commentary on Plato's Timaeus". Philpapers.org. Retrieved 25 February 2015.

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