What is a tritone?

What is a tritone?

• A. An interval composed of three half steps.
• B. A musical interval composed of three whole tones.
• C. A perfect fourth.
• D. A major sixth.

Answer: (B)

A tritone is an interval that spans six semitones, which equals three whole tones. In other words, it covers three steps of a whole-tone scale and divides the octave into two equal halves. In equal temperament, this gives that distinctive, tense sound that composers often use for unrest or tension, and it can be spelled as either an augmented fourth or a diminished fifth depending on the musical context (for example, C to F# or C to Gb). To see why the other options aren’t correct: three half steps measure a minor third, five semitones make a perfect fourth, and nine semitones make a major sixth. Thus, the defining distance of a tritone is three whole tones.

A tritone is an interval that spans six semitones, which equals three whole tones. In other words, it covers three steps of a whole-tone scale and divides the octave into two equal halves. In equal temperament, this gives that distinctive, tense sound that composers often use for unrest or tension, and it can be spelled as either an augmented fourth or a diminished fifth depending on the musical context (for example, C to F# or C to Gb). To see why the other options aren’t correct: three half steps measure a minor third, five semitones make a perfect fourth, and nine semitones make a major sixth. Thus, the defining distance of a tritone is three whole tones.