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Interval

Minor 2nd
1 semitone.

A minor 2nd sounds crunchy and tense. The fastest way to recognize it is the opening of Jaws theme.

  • Play it on piano
  • m2 · 1 st
  • Same songs as the trainer

Minor 2nd

Hear the minor 2nd from middle C

The minor 2nd is 1 semitone (m2). From C4 at 261.63 Hz the upper note is C♯4 at 277.18 Hz, a frequency ratio of 1.0595.

Ascending hookJaws theme
Descending hookFür Elise (opening)
Charactercrunchy and tense

Sing the opening of Jaws theme and you are singing this interval upward. Downward, the hook is Für Elise (opening). The interval trainer uses these same hooks.

All twelve

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StudioEarsEar training for iPhone & iPad

Recognize it without the song hint.

The app drills this interval against the ones you confuse it with, and keeps score across days.

Download on theApp Store

Free to start. 5 free training units every day plus built-in studio tools.

  • EQ & compressionDaily drills on drums, bass, guitars and full mixes.
  • Intervals & chordsPiano training that uses the same note names as these pages.
  • Studio toolsMetronome, tone generator and tap tempo live in the app too.

Explore the cluster

Octave One step smaller. Previous interval → Major 2nd One step larger. Next interval → Interval trainer Name it from a random root. Train →

FAQ

Minor 2nd questions

How many semitones is a minor 2nd?

1. Stack them from any note and you land 1 keys away on the piano, counting only the destination.

What song starts with it?

Ascending: Jaws theme. Descending: Für Elise (opening).

How do I practice it?

Play the buttons above, sing the hook, then do a round in the interval trainer with only this interval and its neighbors turned on.