Major second

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Step: major second

A major second ( Play (help·info)), also called a whole step or a whole tone,^[1] is a musical interval that occurs between the first and second degrees of a major scale, the tonic and the supertonic. The major second is abbreviated as M2; its inversion is the minor seventh. 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 frets. In moveable-do solfège, it is the interval between do and re.

A minor second is a semitone smaller than a major second, and an augmented second is a semitone larger.

In just intonation, the major second can correspond to at least two different frequency ratios: 9/8 (the major tone or greater tone or 204 cents^[2]), and 10/9 (the minor tone or lesser tone of 182 cents^[2]), which differ by the syntonic comma (21.5 cents). In meantone temperament and 12 tone equal temperament these two intervals are approximated by the same interval. Also they are the same in 19-ET and 31-ET. Some equal temperaments with larger divisions of the octave, such as 34-ET, 41-ET, 53-ET, and 72-ET distinguish between these two intervals.

The major second is considered one of the more dissonant intervals of the diatonic scale. 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 (help·info). Here, middle C is followed by D, which is a tone 200 cents sharper than C, and then by both tones together.

Major and minor tones

In music, a major tone or a minor tone is one of two intervals, occurring in some tuning systems, that may be called a whole tone or major second. The major tone is the larger of the two, while the minor tone is the corresponding smaller interval. The major tone is the 9:8 interval in just intonation play (help·info), and it is an approximation thereof in other tuning systems, while the minor tone is the 10:9 ratio play (help·info). 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.

In any system where there is only one size of whole tone, such as all meantone temperaments, the term major tone is not used and the interval is simply called a whole tone.

Unlike almost all uses of the terms major and minor, these intervals span the same number of semitones in standard equal temperament. For example, a major third and minor third are about 71 cents different in just intonation, which are approximated by intervals one semitone apart. A major tone and minor tone are about 22 cents different in just intonation, and they are approximated by the same interval.

Two major tones equal a ditone.

See also

• Whole tone scale
• Pythagorean interval
• List of meantone intervals

Notes