minor third
Three semitones apart
A minor third is a musical interval spanning three semitones—the distance between C and E-flat, or between A and C.
It produces a darker, more melancholic sound than the major third's four semitones.
The minor third defines the characteristic quality of minor chords and minor keys: The song's haunting mood comes from those minor thirds.
Minimum Western musical interval
- pitchFrequency of sound
- tuningAdjusting pitch accuracy
- scaleMeasure of relative size
- diatonicSeven-tone scale-based
chromatic · enharmonic · transposition · fretboard · notation · whole step · octave · cent
Group of three
- chordNotes sounded simultaneously
- consonanceHarmonious sound combination
- polyphonySimultaneous independent melodic lines
- voicingExpressing aloud
inversion · resolution · progression · diminished · augmented · suspended · cadence · root
Subdued, lasting sadness
- sadnessState of emotional pain
- sorrowDeep emotional distress
- wistfulnessTender sadness for absence
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
plaintive · bittersweet · pensive · mournful · nostalgia · longing · introspective · somber
Fast, complex jazz style
- improvisationSpontaneous, unplanned creation
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- modalPertaining to form
- Coltrane"Giant Steps" musician
Miles Davis · Monk · voicing · comping · licks · phrasing · tritone · cool jazz
Scale of five tones
- blue noteFlatted pitch in jazz
- slideSmooth continuous movement
- shuffleRandomize by mixing
- DeltaAlluvial formation at mouth
Chicago blues · B.B. King · Muddy Waters · harmonica · call and response · riff · soulful · expressive
semitone
Minimum Western musical interval
diatonic · chromatic · enharmonic · transposition · fretboard · notation · whole step · octave · cent · equal temperament
triad
Group of three
- chordNotes sounded simultaneously
- consonanceHarmonious sound combination
- polyphonySimultaneous independent melodic lines
voicing · inversion · resolution · progression · diminished · augmented · suspended · cadence · root · tonic
melancholy
Subdued, lasting sadness
- sadnessState of emotional pain
- sorrowDeep emotional distress
- wistfulnessTender sadness for absence
yearning · plaintive · bittersweet · pensive · mournful · nostalgia · longing · introspective · somber · tender
bebop
Fast, complex jazz style
- improvisationSpontaneous, unplanned creation
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- modalPertaining to form
Coltrane · Miles Davis · Monk · voicing · comping · licks · phrasing · tritone · cool jazz · hard bop
pentatonic
Scale of five tones
Delta · Chicago blues · B.B. King · Muddy Waters · harmonica · call and response · riff · soulful · expressive · raw
major, minor, third, thirds, minored, minoring, minorly, minor scale