Tritone

The tritone is a musical interval that spans three whole tones. Example: tritone f' -h ': tritone up / i, tritone down / i?

The word tritone consists of the ancient Greek words tri - ( "three" ) and Tonos ( " voltage ", sc string, it metonymically "Sound" ) together. In Latin it is tritone, from which the plural Tritoni results.

Although the tritone is included in diatonic scales, he is seen as an augmented fourth, so as chromatic variant of the perfect fourth and therefore not counted among the diatonic intervals. Strictly speaking, the term tritone applies only to the augmented fourth (for example, F -H), as only they can be represented by three diatonic whole steps (FG, GA and AH). However, it is common for the diminished fifth - the complementary interval to the augmented fourth, for example HCDEF ( semitone whole step whole step halftone ) - should be called a tritone because it also includes the sum of three whole tones. [Note 1]

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• The tritone was formerly associated with it because of the vocal technique and harmonic problems the devil in music (Latin diabolus in musica ) called or devils interval [note 2].
• Within the same stage mood of the tritone halved exactly one octave ( frequency ratio).
• In the circle of fifths the fundamentals diametrically opposed keys always form a tritone ( maximum harmonic distance).
• Harmonious is seen in every one dominant tritone between the third and the Septimton ago, for example, H -F in G7.
• In jazz, the tritone is used very frequently and also plays at the reharmonization of music as so-called Tritonussubstitution an important role.
• In blues a " floating" sound applies (see blue notes ) between tritone and perfect fifth as style- interval.
• In the Baroque period the ( unnatural ) passage of a voice is in a form of a tritone passus duriusculus (hard gear). Similarly, the jump is usually in a reduced interval called (eg tritone ) saltus duriusculus (hard crack). Such durezze ( = hardening) often agree with the subject matter. A passus duriusculus often represents the crossing of a border or the achievement of the impossible, and in unbearable and painful things.

Frequency ratios of different forms of the tritone

The following table lists some Tritonusintervalle in the naturally occurring overtone series are listed next to the equal -step tritone:

Strive for resolution of the tritone

Since time immemorial, the tritone was considered to be a very unstable interval that was initially completely shunned and later at least perceived as needing resolution necessarily. This resolution struts ensures that the tritone has a strongly dominant matic character and serve its constituents as leading notes. The direction of Leittonwirkung is often ambiguous or easily reversible, which was often used especially in the Romantic harmony to accomplish sophisticated modulations.

An original rationale for these relationships provides Paul Hindemith in his instruction in music theory based on a consideration of the first and second order difference tones. [Note 3] He compares the two occurring at the bottom of the overtone series variants of the tritone, namely the short form with the frequency ratio 7:5 ( Huygens ' tritone ) and the other form with the ratio of 10:7 ( Euler's tritone ). In the adjacent sheet music sample you can see that at the close form f1 - h1 to C major associated dominant created by the participation of the difference tones as overall sound, which clearly gives the tritone the resolution drawn trend. With the wide form (which then better than ek1 - h1 listed ) returns the resolution direction, since now, in conjunction with the differential tones results in the second inversion of a resolved to F # minor dominant seventh. The direction of the resolution endeavor is uniquely determined at these two ( purely intoned! ) Tritonusvarianten. For the other variants, all located between these two extreme forms, the dissolution tendency is rather vague or ambiguous, since the difference tones no clear picture.

Application Examples

The tritone can be used in any music that works a lot with tonal tensions, since this interval stronger than many other demands resolution. Tritonushaltige chords are also particularly good for chromatic or enharmonic modulations. Often meaning the tritone is however also been used in going beyond these everyday compositional function. His reputation as a "vicious interval " ( diabolus in musica ) has often been used to represent tonsymbolisch gloomy, painful, weird or demonic. In most of the following characteristic examples of the history of music is the case:

• Often in Johann Sebastian Bach, for example: addressed in a recitative of the St. Matthew Passion, the Jesus' encounter with a leper
• Aria from the Cantata No. 170 " I am disgusted to live more "