NEUTRAL SECOND

A 'neutral second' or 'medium second' is a musical interval between a minor second and a major second. Three distinct intervals may be termed neutral seconds. The smallest one is an ''equal-tempered neutral second'', which is characterized by a difference in 150.00 cents between the two tones, a hair smaller than a ratio of frequencies between the two tones of 12:11. The intermediate neutral second, called the ''lesser undecimal neutral second'', has a ratio between the higher-frequency tone to the lower-frequency tone of 12:11, while the larger one, the ''greater undecimal neutral second'', possesses a ratio of 11:10 between the two tones.
Roughly speaking, then, neutral seconds are a quarter tone sharp from minor seconds and a quarter tone flat from major seconds. The even-tempered neutral second may be found in the quarter tone scale and in some traditional Arab music (see also Arab tone system)). Because neutral seconds are essentially a semitone (minor second) plus a quarter-tone, they may be considered three-quarter tones.

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See also

See also

★ List of musical intervals

★ Microtonal music