Interval reference
Minor third
3 letter names · 3 semitones · C → E♭
A minor third spans 3 letter names and 3 semitones. Both halves of that description matter: the number comes from the letters, the quality from the exact size.
Starting on C, a minor third reaches E♭. Its shorthand is m3, and traditionally it counts as imperfect consonance.
How big it is
Hear it from any note
The explorer starts on C up to E♭. Play it one note after the other and then both together — the two ways a minor third turns up in music — then change the bottom note: the distance stays the same while the spelling follows the letters.
Turned upside down
Move the lower note up an octave and a minor third becomes a major sixth. The two numbers add up to nine, and the quality flips — major with minor, augmented with diminished, while perfect stays perfect.
Where you meet it
- The lower third of a minor triad (A up to C in A minor)
- The upper third of a major triad (E up to G in C major)
From every starting note
| From | Up a minor third |
|---|---|
| C | E♭ |
| C♯ | E |
| D | F |
| D♯ | F♯ |
| E | G |
| F | A♭ |
| F♯ | A |
| G | B♭ |
| G♯ | B |
| A | C |
| A♯ | C♯ |
| B | D |