Intervals
Major Third
3M · 4 semitones
Four semitones — the interval that makes a chord sound major, and the purest consonance after the fifth.
Also written M3 · 3M
Major Third
3M · 4 semitones
On the piano, from every note
| From | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| C | C – E | |
| C# | C# – E# | |
| D | D – F# | |
| Eb | Eb – G | |
| E | E – G# | |
| F | F – A | |
| F# | F# – A# | |
| G | G – B | |
| Ab | Ab – C | |
| A | A – C# | |
| Bb | Bb – D | |
| B | B – D# |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Read on: number and quality · inversion · compound intervals · consonance and dissonance
Every third
A third can take these qualities, one semitone apart; choose one to see the upper note move and hear the pair.
Hear it in music
Songs that open with Major Third: the first two notes of each are the interval, which is how most players learn to recognise it.
When the Saints Go Marching InTraditional
The first two notes rise a major third.
Symphony No. 5Ludwig van Beethoven
The three repeated notes of the opening motif then drop a major third.
KumbayaTraditional
The first interval of the melody.
Chords built with it
Scales that contain it
C MajorC · D · E · F · G · A · B
C LydianC · D · E · F# · G · A · B
C MixolydianC · D · E · F · G · A · Bb
C Major PentatonicC · D · E · G · A
C Major BluesC · D · Eb · E · G · A
C Whole ToneC · D · E · F# · G# · A#
C ChromaticC · Db · D · Eb · E · F · Gb · G · Ab · A · Bb · B
C AlteredC · Db · D# · E · F# · Ab · Bb
C Phrygian DominantC · Db · E · F · G · Ab · Bb
C Harmonic MajorC · D · E · F · G · Ab · B
C Lydian DominantC · D · E · F# · G · A · Bb
C Half-Whole DiminishedC · Db · Eb · E · F# · G · A · Bb
In C major
- C–E
- F–A
- G–B
Understanding Major Third
Names and symbols
Major Third is written M3, 3M: the letter is the quality, the number the size. Chord formulas on this site write the number first, as tonal does.
Seconds, thirds, sixths and sevenths come in major and minor, a semitone apart, and can be widened to augmented or narrowed to diminished. Inverting one swaps the quality: a major third becomes a minor sixth, a minor second a major seventh.
How it sounds
A major third spans 4 semitones: C – E. It is bright and stable, and it sits close to the fifth harmonic of the lower note, which is why it locks in so cleanly when it is well tuned.
That closeness is also why the major third is the interval barbershop and choral singers adjust most: equal temperament makes it about fourteen cents sharp of the pure ratio, and trained ensembles instinctively flatten it.
How composers use it
A major third under a perfect fifth is a major triad. Stack two major thirds and you get an augmented triad, symmetrical and directionless. Move by major thirds and you get the chromatic mediant relationships that carry so much film scoring.
Its inversion is the Minor Sixth, which is why guitarists can voice the same harmony as a third on one string pair and a sixth on another.
Learn this properly
Chapter 5: IntervalsCommon questions
- How many semitones is a Major Third?
- A Major Third spans 4 semitones: C – E. Count the semitones of any interval with the interval calculator.
- Why does the major third sound bright?
- It is close to the simple 5:4 frequency ratio, so the two notes share strong overtones and reinforce rather than beat against each other.
- What is the inversion of a major third?
- The Minor Sixth — the two add up to an octave.
- How do I play Major Third?
- On guitar the handiest shape is Next string, B 1 · E 0, read as string and fret; the instrument panel draws it from any starting note with the other shapes. On the piano count 4 semitones up from any key, black keys included. Play the notes together for the harmonic form, one after the other for the melodic form.