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Major second
The musical interval of a major second — also called a whole-tone — is the relationship between the first note (the root or tonic) and the second note in a major scale (and also a minor scale). It is the inversion of the minor seventh. It is abbreviated as M2.
It can be produced by starting on a high note and playing the second below or by starting on a low note and playing the second above.
A major second in just intonation most often corresponds to a pitch ratio of 9:8 or 1:1.125, or various other ratios, while in an equal tempered tuning, a major second is equal to two semitones, a whole-tone, a ratio of 1:22/12 (approximately 1.122), or 200 cents, 3.910 cents smaller. Two whole tones create a ditone, 9:82.
The major second is considered the most dissonant interval besides the minor second and major seventh.
See also
musical tuning, whole-tone scale, tonus.
| Major second | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # semitones | Interval class | # cents in equal temperament | Most common diatonic name | Comparable just interval | # cents in just interval | Just interval vs. equal-tempered interval |
| 2 | 2 | 200 | major second | 9:8 | 204 | 4 cents larger |
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