Wikipedia

Tenth (interval)

This article is about the musical interval. For the ordinal of 10, see 10.

In music theory, a tenth (or compound third[1]) is a musical interval encompassing ten scale degrees.[2] It is a compound interval,[3] composed of an octave plus a third.[4] Like a third, a tenth is typically major or minor but can also have other chord qualities, like being augmented or diminished.

Major tenth

[edit]
Major tenth
Name
Other namesCompound major third
AbbreviationM10
Size
Semitones16
Interval class4
Cents
12-Tone equal temperament1600

A major tenth is a compound interval spanning 16 semitones, or 4 semitones above an octave. For example, the interval between C4 and E5 (in scientific pitch notation) is a major tenth.

{ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \time 4/4 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 1 = 20 <c e'>1 } }

Minor tenth

[edit]
Minor tenth
Name
Other namesCompound minor third
Abbreviationm10
Size
Semitones15
Interval class3
Cents
12-Tone equal temperament1500

A minor tenth is a compound interval spanning 15 semitones, or 3 semitones above an octave. For example, the interval between C4 and E♭5 is a minor tenth.

{ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \time 4/4 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 1 = 20 <c es'>1 } }

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Apel, Willi (1950). The Harvard Dictionary of Music (Sixth Printing ed.). p. 359.
  2. ^ "How To Play 10th Intervals". PianoGroove.com. 2022-12-29. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  3. ^ Laitz, Steven G. (2008). The Complete Musician (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 71–72. ISBN 978-0-19-530108-3.
  4. ^ Hamm, Chelsey; Hughes, Bryn (2026-02-01). "Intervals". VIVA.