Septimal major third
Encyclopedia
In music
, the septimal major third , also called the supermajor third (by Hermann Helmholtz among others) and sometimes Bohlen–Pierce third is the musical interval exactly or approximately equal to a just 9:7 ratio of frequencies, or alternately 14:11. It is equal to 435 cent
s, sharper than a just major third
(5:4) by the septimal quarter tone
(36:35) . In 24-TET
the septimal major third is approximated by 9 quarter tones, or 450 cents .
The septimal major third has a characteristic brassy sound which is much less sweet than a pure major third, but is classed as a 9-limit
consonance. Together with the septimal minor third
of 7:6, it makes up the septimal major triad, or supermajor triad . However, in terms of the overtone series, this is a utonal rather than otonal chord, being an inverted
6:7:9, ie a :: chord.
In the early meantone
era the interval made its appearance as the alternative major third in remote keys, under the name diminished fourth
. Tunings of the meantone fifth in the neighborhood of Zarlino
's -comma meantone will give four septimal thirds among the twelve major thirds of the tuning; this entails that three septimal major triads appear along with one chord containing a septimal major third with an ordinary minor third above it, making up a wolf fifth.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, the septimal major third , also called the supermajor third (by Hermann Helmholtz among others) and sometimes Bohlen–Pierce third is the musical interval exactly or approximately equal to a just 9:7 ratio of frequencies, or alternately 14:11. It is equal to 435 cent
Cent (music)
The cent is a logarithmic unit of measure used for musical intervals. Twelve-tone equal temperament divides the octave into 12 semitones of 100 cents each...
s, sharper than a just major third
Major third
In classical music from Western culture, a third is a musical interval encompassing three staff positions , and the major third is one of two commonly occurring thirds. It is qualified as major because it is the largest of the two: the major third spans four semitones, the minor third three...
(5:4) by the septimal quarter tone
Septimal quarter tone
A septimal quarter-tone is an interval with the ratio of 36:35 , which is the difference between the septimal minor third and the Just minor third , or about 48.77 cents wide. The name derives from the interval being the 7-limit approximation of a quarter tone...
(36:35) . In 24-TET
Quarter tone
A quarter tone , is a pitch halfway between the usual notes of a chromatic scale, an interval about half as wide as a semitone, which is half a whole tone....
the septimal major third is approximated by 9 quarter tones, or 450 cents .
The septimal major third has a characteristic brassy sound which is much less sweet than a pure major third, but is classed as a 9-limit
Limit (music)
In music theory, limit or harmonic limit is a way of characterizing the harmony found in a piece or genre of music, or the harmonies that can be made using a particular scale. The term was introduced by Harry Partch, who used it to give an upper bound on the complexity of harmony; hence the name...
consonance. Together with the septimal minor third
Septimal minor third
In music, the septimal minor third , also called the subminor third, is the musical interval exactly or approximately equal to a 7/6 ratio of frequencies. In terms of cents, it is 267 cents, a quartertone of size 36/35 flatter than a just minor third of 6/5...
of 7:6, it makes up the septimal major triad, or supermajor triad . However, in terms of the overtone series, this is a utonal rather than otonal chord, being an inverted
6:7:9, ie a :: chord.
In the early meantone
Meantone temperament
Meantone temperament is a musical temperament, which is a system of musical tuning. In general, a meantone is constructed the same way as Pythagorean tuning, as a stack of perfect fifths, but in meantone, each fifth is narrow compared to the ratio 27/12:1 in 12 equal temperament, the opposite of...
era the interval made its appearance as the alternative major third in remote keys, under the name diminished fourth
Diminished fourth
In classical music from Western culture, a diminished fourth is an interval produced by narrowing a perfect fourth by a chromatic semitone. For example, the interval from C to F is a perfect fourth, five semitones wide, and both the intervals from C to F, and from C to F are diminished fourths,...
. Tunings of the meantone fifth in the neighborhood of Zarlino
Gioseffo Zarlino
Gioseffo Zarlino was an Italian music theorist and composer of the Renaissance. He was possibly the most famous music theorist between Aristoxenus and Rameau, and made a large contribution to the theory of counterpoint as well as to musical tuning.-Life:Zarlino was born in Chioggia, near Venice...
's -comma meantone will give four septimal thirds among the twelve major thirds of the tuning; this entails that three septimal major triads appear along with one chord containing a septimal major third with an ordinary minor third above it, making up a wolf fifth.