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I think it's something to do with the flatted 5th but I can't figure it out.

Michael Griffin
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1 Answers1

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The so-called Devil's interval is the tritone. Play any note, and the one that is three tones away is the tritone. It's in between the two other important notes in a scale, the P4 and P5.Just as far in semitones as you can get from the original note, either way.

It was said to be banned from renaissance music, as it is quite dissonant, and became known as the Devil's interval. Apochryphally or not, I'm not sure. But these days it's a commonly used interval, making the b5 in blues, and the #4 in jazz. In all the modes of the major scale, the 5ths are perfect, except the Locrian, which contains this flat fifth, in part making it the least used mode.

Tim
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  • Might be worth mentioning that this interval is as _melodic_ as any other but not _harmonious_ by any stretch – lauir May 02 '17 at 18:11
  • Despite being a stern critic of all superstitions, I will mention something magic about the tritone: in any 7th chord (dominant 7th) it's the interval between the flattened 7th note and the 3rd. In a jazz or blues setting you can just play those two notes to define the 7th chord flavour and leave the root note to someone else. – Areel Xocha May 02 '17 at 22:44
  • @AreelXocha - I do it a lot! Also taking those two notes as from root, move them up or down a semitone to play over V and IV of the key respectively. – Tim May 03 '17 at 06:04
  • That first part of the second para is not strictly correct it was banned except for when the music specifically called on imagery that was about the devil or being evil. – Neil Meyer May 05 '17 at 16:25