Major second
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 | ||
| ||||||||