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The tritone among them
One more look at what you missed.
Between the fourth and the fifth sits the tritone.
It is six half steps, exactly half an octave. C up to F♯ is a tritone.
Fourth, tritone, fifth: one half step apart each.
No sound? Check your volume, and that your phone is not on silent.
The tritone sounds tense, as if it wants to move.
The fourth and the fifth sound settled. The tritone does not.
Maria, from West Side Story, opens with a tritone.
Its first two notes are a tritone. The third note slides up a half step and settles.
Settled and narrower: perfect 4th. Settled and wider: perfect 5th. Tense, like Maria: tritone.
If it sounds unfinished, it is probably the tritone.
Listen for the pull: its top note wants to slide a half step, just like Maria's third note.
The tritone going down, and played together.
Up, down or together. The tense one is still the tritone.
Its name means three whole steps.
Tri-tone is three tones, and a tone is a whole step: C to D, D to E, E to F♯.
How many half steps are in a tritone?
You can hear the tritone.
What you learned
- A tritone is six half steps, between the fourth and the fifth.
- It sounds tense and wants to move; Maria opens with one.
- Its name means three whole steps.
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