Perfect Fourth
An interval spanning five semitones, historically treated as both consonant and dissonant depending on context.
Category
intervals
Pronunciation
/ˈpɜːfɪkt fɔːθ/
Origin
Latin (quartus, fourth)
Length
205 words · 2 min read
About Perfect Fourth
The perfect fourth is the distance from C to F, or from G to C above, and it holds a unique position in Western harmony. In medieval music it was classified as a perfect consonance alongside the fifth and octave, but from the Renaissance onwards it was treated as a dissonance when appearing above the bass note — a rule that still applies in species counterpoint.
More intervals terms
Minor Seventh
View all intervalsterms →An interval spanning ten semitones, central to dominant seventh chords and the blues sound.
Minor ThirdAn interval spanning three semitones, often described as having a dark, melancholic, or tender quality.
Minor SixthAn interval spanning eight semitones, with a bittersweet quality often used in expressive melodic writing.
AugmentedAn interval that has been widened by one semitone beyond its major or perfect form.
Whole toneAn interval spanning two semitones, equivalent to a major second.
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v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →