Fig. 1 · F to Gb

interval

F minor second

FlowerG♭upperm21 half steps

One half step, written as a second: the smallest distance between two notes with different letters.

On the keyboard

Fig. 2

What is true of it

F up a minor second is G♭: 1 half step, and 2 letters counting both ends.

Turn it upside down — put the F on top — and it becomes a major seventh. The two numbers always add to nine, and the two sizes to twelve.

It is a dissonance.

Every interval on F

F → Gmajor second · dissonance F → A♭minor third · imperfect consonance F → Amajor third · imperfect consonance F → B♭perfect fourth · perfect consonance F → Baugmented fourth · dissonance F → C♭diminished fifth · dissonance F → Cperfect fifth · perfect consonance F → D♭minor sixth · imperfect consonance F → Dmajor sixth · imperfect consonance F → E♭minor seventh · dissonance F → Emajor seventh · dissonance

C m2 C♯ m2 D♭ m2 D m2 D♯ m2 E♭ m2 E m2 F♯ m2 all 204