Minor sixth
A minor sixth is 8 half steps: from C up to A♭. Bittersweet and yearning: wider than a fifth, a half step short of a major sixth.
The minor sixth at a glance
| Minor sixth | |
|---|---|
| Half steps | 8 (four whole steps) |
| Letters it spans | 6: C D E F G A |
| Short name | m6 |
| Inverts to | Major third |
| Frequency ratio | 1.587 on a piano, 8:5 in just intonation |
Every note’s frequency in hertz is on the note frequency chart.
Songs that start with a minor sixth
Going up: "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin, on the leap from E up to C near its start.
Sing the tune’s first notes in your head and you have the interval from any starting note.
The minor sixth in chords
From a major chord’s third up to its root (E to C in C major), so a major chord with its third at the bottom holds one.
Every chord’s notes, to hear on a keyboard, are on piano chords.
A minor sixth from every note
| From | Up a minor sixth |
|---|---|
| C | A♭ |
| C♯ | A |
| D | B♭ |
| D♯ | B |
| E | C |
| F | D♭ |
| F♯ | D |
| G | E♭ |
| G♯ | E |
| A | F |
| B♭ | G♭ |
| B | G |
Questions about the minor sixth
What is a minor sixth in music?
A minor sixth is 8 half steps: from C up to A♭. Bittersweet and yearning: wider than a fifth, a half step short of a major sixth.
How many half steps is a minor sixth?
Eight, such as E to C or A to F.
What songs start with a minor sixth?
"The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin, on the leap from E up to C near its start.
What is the inversion of a minor sixth?
A major third. Move the lower note up an octave and a minor sixth becomes a major third: their half steps add up to twelve.
Other intervals
All of them side by side, with how to name one, are on the interval chart.
Put intervals in a song
Open the free editor with a beat playing, then draw a melody note by note in the piano roll and hear every leap. No account needed to start.
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