Theory: The Devil in Music

The name tritone is used round the world, so it is an extremely useful sound interval name. Please remember that a sound interval only describes what we hear in our modern tuning system, equal temperament. The name does not worry about notation. So if you are describing what you hear, that is the only name you will ever need. Tritone simply means an interval that is three tones wide.

[@bearfoxwolf]

There's a lot I like here: transparently easy to follow and also comprehensive. In traditional theory I learned of "aug4" & "dim5" and tritone wasn't mentioned at all. The fact that we have three whole tones itself opens how to see it. Secondly, we might be told to "raise the 4th (P4)" or "lower the 5th" but the idea that you can change an interval through the bottom or top note was never discussed - creating a much less flexible view. And finally the, that "church" trope is still taught to this day. I love having the example from different genres and eras of music.

[@garydlloyd7718]

To me it is astounding that all beginning music students are not taught the tritone under that name.

[@aldeayeah]

Gotta be thankful to the tritone! The Medieval aversion for it showing up in vocal harmonies led composers to (re)invent B flat! Thus (re)opening the door to chromaticism in Western notated music. Also no tritone means no dominant chord which would invalidate whole centuries of music...

[@garydlloyd7718]

That last part is most important. Getting rid of the dominant 7 chord really totally changes music.

[@carlsheperd2471]

It's described as "the devil's chord".

[@garydlloyd7718]

The name diabolus in musica (Latin for 'the Devil in music') has been applied to the interval from at least the early 18th century, or the late Middle Ages,