Free music interval calculator and semitone calculator. Pick two notes to get the interval name,
semitone count, and consonance. Or start from one note and add semitones to find the target note.
What is a semitone?
A semitone is the smallest interval in Western music theory, equal to one half step on a piano keyboard. Moving from any key to the immediately adjacent key, whether black or white, is a distance of one semitone. There are 12 semitones in an octave.
How many semitones are between two notes?
The number of semitones between two notes depends on the interval. A minor second is 1 semitone, a major second is 2, a minor third is 3, a major third is 4, a perfect fourth is 5, a tritone is 6, a perfect fifth is 7, a minor sixth is 8, a major sixth is 9, a minor seventh is 10, a major seventh is 11, and an octave is 12.
What is a music interval?
A music interval is the distance in pitch between two notes, measured in semitones and given a name based on music theory. Intervals are described by their quality (major, minor, perfect, augmented, diminished) and their number (second, third, fourth, and so on). The same interval sounds the same regardless of which two notes you start from.
What is a minor third interval?
A minor third is an interval of 3 semitones. It is one of the most common intervals in music and forms the foundation of minor chords. For example, C to Eb is a minor third. It has a darker, more melancholic sound compared to the major third.
What is a major third interval?
A major third is an interval of 4 semitones. It forms the foundation of major chords and has a brighter, more resolved sound than the minor third. For example, C to E is a major third.
What is the difference between a consonant and dissonant interval?
Consonant intervals sound stable and resolved. Perfect unisons, octaves, fifths, fourths, major and minor thirds, and major and minor sixths are all considered consonant. Dissonant intervals sound tense and create a sense of movement or instability. Minor seconds, major sevenths, and the tritone are the most dissonant intervals in Western music theory.
What is a music interval calculator?
A music interval calculator takes two notes as input and returns the interval name, semitone count, and whether the interval is consonant or dissonant. It is useful for music theory study, songwriting, and understanding why certain note combinations sound the way they do.
What is a music theory calculator?
A music theory calculator is a tool that performs calculations based on music theory rules, such as finding the interval between two notes, identifying chords, or calculating scale degrees. This tool focuses specifically on intervals and semitone distances between any two notes you select.