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Tritone – Definition
A tritone is a musical interval spanning three whole steps, or six semitones. It is one of the most dissonant intervals in Western music and plays a central role in harmony and chord progression.
What is a Tritone?
A tritone divides an octave into two equal parts. Depending on the musical context, it may be written as either an augmented fourth or a diminished fifth, although both span the same distance of six semitones.
The tritone is found at the heart of the dominant seventh chord. For example, the notes B and F in a G7 chord create the tritone that generates the strong harmonic pull toward C major. Historically, the interval was sometimes referred to as Diabolus in Musica (“the Devil in Music”) because of its tense sound.
Why is the Tritone important for pianists?
Understanding the tritone helps pianists recognize harmonic tension and resolution, build dominant seventh chords, and understand common chord progressions. It is also fundamental to jazz harmony, blues, reharmonization, and tritone substitution.
Mastering the sound of the tritone develops stronger harmonic awareness and makes it easier to hear and create musical tension before a satisfying resolution.