home \ music theory II \ page 3

The fourth

The fourth is a distance of four letters. Note: you start counting at one.

C(1) - D(2) - E(3) - F(4)

So C-F is a fourth, just like D-G, or G-C, or Eb-Ab, and also Eb-A, or Eb-A#, etc.

Types of fourths

There are no major or minor fourths, but - just like the unison - there is perfect, diminished and augmented variation:

• Perfect fourth: two and a half tone. E.g. C-F, D-G, Eb-Ab, F-Bb
• Diminished fourth: two whole tones. E.g. C#-F, D-Gb, E-Ab
• Augmented fourth: three whole tones. E.g. C-F#, D-G#, F-B

The augmented fourth is also know as the tritonus: three whole tones. In blues this is a blue note, which gives a nice bluesy extra.

Audio examples of the fourth

Respectively a perfect, diminished and augmented fourth

The fifth

The fifth is a distance of five letters.

Examples: C-G, D-A, G-D, Eb-Bb, and also E-Bb, or C#-Gb, etc.

The fifth is a very common interval. Not only in music. When you drop a metal beam, you can hear a perfect fifth.

Types of fifths

Just like the fourth, there is a perfect, diminished and augmented fifth.

• Perfect fifth: three and a half tone. E.g. C-G, D-A, Eb-Bb, F-C
• Diminished fifth: three tones (so this is also a tritonus). E.g. C-Gb, D-Ab, G#-D
• Augmented fifth: four whole tones. E.g. C-G#, D-A#, F-C#

A common notation for a diminished fifth is b5 ("flat five").

Audio examples of the fifth

Respectively a perfect, diminished and augmented fifth

The sixth

The sixth is a distance of six letters.

Examples: C-A, D-B, C-Ab, C-A#, etc.

Types of sixth

There are major, minor, diminished and augmented sixths:

• Major sixth: four and a half tone. E.g. C-A, D-B, E-C#
• Minor sixth: four tones.E.g. C-Ab, D-B, F-D
• Diminished sixth: three and a half tones. E.g. C#-Ab
• Augmented sixth: five whole tones. E.g. C-A#

Audio examples of the sixth

Respectively a major, minor, diminished and augmented sixth

Index   Previous   Next

Home