Minor sixth

In music theory, a minor sixth is a special kind of musical interval. It covers six staff positions. It is called "minor" because it is smaller than another common interval called the major sixth.

The minor sixth includes eight tiny steps, called semitones, between two notes. For example, if you start at the note A and move up to the note F, you have played a minor sixth. There are eight semitones between these two notes. They are six positions apart on the musical staff.

There are also other intervals that cover six staff positions, such as the diminished and augmented sixths. These intervals are important in music. They help create different sounds and feelings in songs and compositions. Understanding intervals like the minor sixth helps musicians and composers build harmony and melody in their work.

Equal temperament

In 12-tone equal temperament, the minor sixth is the same as the augmented fifth when you look at the notes differently. It is found in some major and minor chords. The minor sixth is eight semitones apart. This is a ratio of 2^8/12:1, or about 1.587. It equals 800 cents.

Just intonation

In just intonation, the minor sixth can mean a few different things. In Pythagorean tuning, it uses the ratio 128:81, which sounds a little lower than the common tuning. In 5-limit tuning, the minor sixth is often 8:5, which sounds a little higher. There is also an 11-limit tuning version called the undecimal minor sixth.

The minor sixth is a pleasant interval in music, liked together with the unison, octave, perfect fifth, and major sixth. Long ago, in medieval times, people thought it made a clashing sound. But in more recent music history, it is valued for its interesting sound.