Minor third
A minor third is 3 half steps, written m3. From C it reaches E♭. Hear it one note after the other, then together.
What it sounds like
Three half steps. It is the interval that makes a chord minor: a minor third from the root gives the darker, softer color.
Stacked on top of each other, minor thirds build diminished chords. It is also the gap from the relative major down to the relative minor.
How to recognise a minor third by ear
Sing the first and third notes of a minor scale, or sol down to mi. Up, it has a slightly plaintive lift; together, it sounds like the bottom of a minor chord. Compare it with the major third on the next page: one half step changes the mood.
Inside the C major scale, the minor thirds are D–F, E–G, A–C and B–D.
Add an octave and a minor third becomes a minor tenth (15 half steps), which pianists often reach with the left hand to spread out a minor chord. Intervals bigger than an octave are called compound intervals; they keep the character of the smaller interval but sound more open.
Chords with a minor third above the root, shown on C: Cm, Cm7, Cm6, Cdim, Cdim7, Cm7♭5.
A minor third from every note
The letter name moves up 2 letters (a "third") and the distance is always 3 half steps.
| From | Up a minor third | |
|---|---|---|
| C | E♭ | |
| D♭ | F♭ | |
| D | F | |
| E♭ | G♭ | |
| E | G | |
| F | A♭ | |
| F♯ | A | |
| G | B♭ | |
| A♭ | C♭ | |
| A | C | |
| B♭ | D♭ | |
| B | D |
Finding it on guitar
On one string, a minor third is 3 frets up. Across to the next higher string it's 2 frets back (the strings are a perfect fourth apart, except G to B, where you add one fret). The diagram starts from A on the low E string.
Other intervals
- minor second
- major second
- major third
- perfect fourth
- tritone
- perfect fifth
- minor sixth
- major sixth
- minor seventh
- major seventh
- octave
← major second · major third →
Minor third: questions
How many half steps is a minor third?
3. On the piano, count 3 keys up (black and white) from the starting note; on guitar, 3 frets up the same string.
What is a minor third above C?
E♭. Above G it is B♭, above D it is F.
Is a minor third consonant or dissonant?
Consonant. Three half steps.
What is the inversion of a minor third?
A major sixth. Turn the interval upside down (put the lower note on top) and the two sizes always add up to 12 half steps: 3 + 9.
Spellings computed from letter names and half steps, and checked against both. Updated September 2026.