major third

English

Noun

major third (plural major thirds)

1. (music) A musical interval of the Western twelve-semitone system consisting of four semitones and spanning three degrees of the diatonic scale. Major scales are so named because of the major third interval between the tonic and mediant of a major tonic triad. It is enharmonically equivalent to a diminished fourth.

   The major third has a pitch ratio close to 34:27.

Synonyms

• M3

See also

Related terms

• minor third
• diminished fourth

• perfect fifth
• tonic

Translations

interval of four semitones

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 大三度 (zh) (dàsāndù)

• Finnish: suuri terssi
• French: tierce majeure f
• German: große Terz f
• Greek: τρίτη μεγάλη f (tríti megáli)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Icelandic: stór þríund f
• Italian: terza maggiore f
• Japanese: 長三度 (ja) (chōsando)
• Polish: tercja wielka f
• Russian: больша́я те́рция f (bolʹšája tɛ́rcija)
• Swedish: stor ters c, durters c