Minor Second
An interval spanning one semitone, the smallest step in standard Western music.
Category
intervals
Pronunciation
/ˈmaɪnə ˈsɛkənd/
Origin
Latin (secundus, second)
Length
191 words · 1 min read
About Minor Second
The minor second is the distance between any two adjacent notes in the chromatic scale — C to D-flat, E to F, or B to C, for example. It produces a sharp, tense, dissonant sound when two notes a minor second apart are played simultaneously, and this dissonance makes it one of the most expressive intervals in music.
More intervals terms
Major Sixth
View all intervalsterms →An interval spanning nine semitones, often described as warm, open, and gently uplifting.
SemitoneThe smallest interval in standard Western music
Perfect FifthAn interval of seven semitones
Minor SixthAn interval spanning eight semitones, with a bittersweet quality often used in expressive melodic writing.
OctaveThe interval spanning eight diatonic scale degrees
Antonyms
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