Major and minor intervals differ by one semitone: the major version is one semitone wider than the minor version of the same number. A major 3rd is four semitones and a minor 3rd is three, a major 6th is nine semitones and a minor 6th is eight, and a major 7th is eleven while a minor 7th is ten.
What is the difference between major and minor intervals?
Major and minor intervals are pairs: the same number, two different sizes, one semitone apart. A major 3rd spans four semitones and a minor 3rd spans three. A major 6th spans nine semitones and a minor 6th spans eight. A major 7th spans eleven semitones and a minor 7th spans ten. A major 2nd spans two semitones and a minor 2nd spans one. In every case the major interval is the wider one and the minor interval is the narrower one, and the difference is always exactly one semitone. Only four interval numbers have major and minor forms: 2nds, 3rds, 6ths and 7ths. Unisons, 4ths, 5ths and octaves are perfect instead, and they do not have major or minor versions. That split is not arbitrary: it comes from the major scale, where the intervals from the root to the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees are all major, and lowering any of them by a semitone makes them minor. The C major scale shows the major intervals, and the A minor scale shows the same degrees lowered to minor.
How the major-minor difference works
The practical rule is simple: take the major interval and lower the top note by one semitone to get the minor interval, or take the minor interval and raise the top note by one semitone to get the major interval. C to E is a major 3rd, four semitones; lower the E to Eb and you have C to Eb, a minor 3rd, three semitones. C to A is a major 6th, nine semitones; lower the A to Ab and you have C to Ab, a minor 6th, eight semitones. The letter name changes with the accidental, but the number stays the same, because the letter count has not changed. The difference matters most in chords, where the 3rd decides whether a chord is major or minor, and in scales, where the 3rd, 6th and 7th decide whether a scale is major or minor. A major chord has a major 3rd and a minor chord has a minor 3rd; a major scale has major 3rds, 6ths and 7ths, while a natural minor scale has minor 3rds, 6ths and 7ths. The C major guitar chord and the C minor guitar chord show the 3rd making that decision, and the interval calculator measures either version from any root.
Worked example — 6ths above D. D to B is six letters, D, E, F#, G, A, B, and nine semitones, so it is a major 6th. Lower the B by one semitone to Bb, spelled A#, and D to A# is still six letters but only eight semitones, so it is a minor 6th. The same pair appears in the scales: D major has B as its 6th degree, a major 6th, while D natural minor has Bb as its 6th degree, a minor 6th. Play both on your instrument and listen for the major 6th sounding bright and open while the minor 6th sounds darker and more closed. The D major scale and the D minor scale show the two versions.
How to practise major and minor intervals
Practise the pairs together, major then minor on the same root, so your ear learns the one-semitone difference as a single sound.
- Play a major 3rd and then a minor 3rd on the same root, three times, saying major or minor aloud before each one. Start with C, G and D.
- Sing a major 6th above a root note, then lower the top note by a semitone and sing the minor 6th, checking yourself against the piano.
- Write out the major and minor 3rds, 6ths and 7ths above F, and check that each minor interval is exactly one semitone narrower than its major partner.
- Play the C major scale and then the C natural minor scale, listening for the 3rd, 6th and 7th dropping by a semitone.
- Use the interval calculator to drill major and minor intervals from random roots until you can name the quality from the sound alone.
Common mistakes
- Thinking minor means smaller in every way — A minor interval is narrower than the major version of the same number, but a minor 7th is still wider than a major 6th. Compare intervals only within the same number, never across different numbers.
- Forgetting that 4ths and 5ths cannot be major or minor — A 4th is perfect, diminished or augmented, never major or minor. Calling C to F a major 4th is wrong, and it will confuse anyone reading your chord symbols.
- Lowering the wrong note — To turn a major interval into a minor one, lower the top note, not the bottom note. Lowering the bottom note by a semitone makes the interval wider, not narrower, and gives you a different interval entirely.
Quick reference
This table pairs the major and minor versions of each interval that has both forms, with the semitone counts side by side so the one-semitone difference is easy to see. Every row follows the same rule: the major interval is one semitone wider than the minor interval of the same number, and the letter count is identical in both columns.
| Interval pair | Major | Minor |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | C – D, 2 semitones | C – C#, 1 semitone |
| 3rd | C – E, 4 semitones | C – D#, 3 semitones |
| 6th | C – A, 9 semitones | C – G#, 8 semitones |
| 7th | C – B, 11 semitones | C – A#, 10 semitones |
Memorise the table by playing each row as a pair on piano, major first and then minor, and listening for the top note dropping by one key. When the pairs feel familiar from C, repeat the exercise from G, where the major 3rd is B and the minor 3rd is Bb, and the same one-semitone pattern holds.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a major and a minor interval?
One semitone. The major interval is one semitone wider than the minor interval of the same number: a major 3rd is four semitones and a minor 3rd is three, a major 7th is eleven semitones and a minor 7th is ten.
Which intervals can be major or minor?
Only 2nds, 3rds, 6ths and 7ths. Unisons, 4ths, 5ths and octaves are perfect instead, and they become diminished or augmented when they are narrowed or widened, never major or minor.
Is a minor interval always sad sounding?
Not always, but minor intervals do sound darker than their major partners, because the narrower gap creates a slightly more tense relationship between the notes. The effect is strongest in the 3rd, which is why minor chords sound sadder than major chords.
How do I turn a major interval into a minor interval?
Lower the top note by one semitone, keeping the letter count the same. C to E is a major 3rd; lower the E to Eb and you have C to Eb, a minor 3rd. The number stays a 3rd because the letters are still C, D, E.
Do major and minor intervals appear in the same scale?
Yes. A natural minor scale contains minor 3rds, 6ths and 7ths above its root, while a major scale contains major 3rds, 6ths and 7ths. The dorian mode mixes them: it has a minor 3rd and 7th but a major 6th, which is part of its distinctive sound.