User:Sonia/Major second
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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.
Inverse | minor seventh | |
---|---|---|
Name | ||
Other names | whole tone | |
Abbreviation | M2 | |
Size | ||
Semitones | 2 |
A minor second is a chromatic semitone narrower than a major second, and an augmented second is a chromatic semitone wider.
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.