Tritone Interval: A musical interval spanning three whole tones, or six semitones, creating a distinctive sound often perceived as dissonant and unstable.

Context and Significance

The tritone interval is significant in music for its unique tension and dissonance, often used to create drama and suspense. It’s prevalent in various genres, from classical to jazz, providing a pivot in harmonic progressions. In classical music, the tritone appears in the diminished fifth or augmented fourth, offering a sense of unresolved tension that composers exploit to enhance emotional impact. In jazz, it serves as a crucial element in tritone substitutions, enriching harmonic vocabulary.

Historical Background

Historically, the tritone earned the nickname “diabolus in musica” or “the devil in music” during the Middle Ages, due to its dissonant nature. It was often avoided in sacred music for its unsettling sound. The interval gained prominence in the Baroque and Classical periods, where composers like J.S. Bach and Beethoven used it to add emotional depth to their works. The tritone’s evolution continued into the 20th century, becoming a staple in modern music.

Examples

The tritone interval is famously featured in the opening of Leonard Bernstein’s “Maria” from West Side Story, where it evokes a sense of longing and tension. In classical repertoire, the interval is central to Wagner’s opera “Tristan und Isolde,” where it underscores the opera’s themes of love and desire. Jazz musicians frequently utilize the tritone in chord substitutions to create richer, more complex harmonies.

Related Terms

Dissonance: A lack of harmony among musical notes.

Augmented Fourth: A type of tritone, spanning six semitones.

Diminished Fifth: Another form of tritone, also spanning six semitones.

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