Minor 2nd

General info

Name

Minor 2nd

Quality

Minor

Degree distance

2 degrees

Semitones

1

Short description

Distance of one semitone. One of the most tense intervals, creating a sense of pull.

Interval structure

Lower note

Root

Upper note

Minor second (b2)

Degree formula

II1 stIIbIIb

Semitone formula

1 semitone

Interval construction

Interval formula

m2

How it's built

From the root, move up by one semitone (one key / one fret).

Brief explanation

The minor 2nd is the smallest interval in the Western 12-tone system. It is the distance between two adjacent notes (e.g., E–F or B–C). The interval sounds tense and uneasy.

How the interval sounds

Sound character

The minor 2nd is the most dissonant of the "simple" intervals. It creates a sense of friction, anxiety, and tension. In melody, the half-step motion is perceived as chromatic "sliding." In harmony, two notes a half step apart create maximum beating — a characteristic "clashing" sound.

Consonance / dissonance

Explanation

The minor 2nd is a pronounced dissonance. Two notes are so close together that their frequencies create strong acoustic beating. This makes the interval extremely unstable and in need of resolution.

Tendencies & resolutions

Behavior

The minor 2nd strongly tends toward resolution. Most naturally, the upper note descends to unison (converging resolution) or the lower note descends by another half step. In a dominant seventh chord, the half-step pull of the leading tone to the tonic is a key resolution element.

Harmonic context

Context

The minor 2nd appears in chords as suspensions (sus), in cluster voicings, and in dominant seventh chords (between the 3rd and 4th scale degrees). In the Phrygian mode, the lowered 2nd degree creates the characteristic "Spanish" color.

Interval inversion

Interval from every note