live-coding-academy_ ⌕ search
home/ atoms/ augmented-diminished-intervals

Augmented intervals are one semitone wider than perfect/major; diminished intervals are one semitone narrower than perfect/minor

Concept L2First instrument A · Music theory & musicianship

Beyond perfect, major, and minor, intervals can be further stretched or compressed. Augmenting a perfect or major interval by one semitone creates an augmented interval. Diminishing a perfect or minor interval by one semitone creates a diminished interval. Imperfect intervals (2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th) can occur in four forms: diminished, minor, major, augmented. Perfect intervals (prime, 4th, 5th, octave) occur in three forms: diminished, perfect, augmented. The diminished fifth (tritone, 6 semitones) between B and F in C major is notorious for its dissonant quality.

Examples

Perfect fifth C-G (7st) to augmented fifth C-G# (8st). Minor third C-Eb (3st) to diminished third C-Ebb (2st). The tritone F-B is a diminished fifth or augmented fourth.

Assessment

Identify: is C-F# an augmented fourth or diminished fifth? How many semitones is it?

Prerequisites — understand these first

Don't confuse with

Sources

“A diminished interval is a perfect or minor interval that has been shrunk by a semitone. A good example is the diminished fifth interval found in the C major scale between notes B and F.”
corpus · michael-hewitt-music-theory-for-computer-musicians · chunk 25
“the opposite of augmenting something is diminishing it that means shrinking the interval smaller Beyond its standard size”
corpus · michael-new-new-to-music-theory-start-here-youtube-playlist · chunk 2

Taught in modules