Fig 1: The sixth.

Sixth
A musical interval: the distance between two tones that are six tones apart.

[Example 1: Beethoven: String Quartet in A, Op.18 No.5: 3rd mvt]

The sixth is a musical interval comprising two tones that are six tones apart (see Fig.1):

There are in practice two important kinds of sixth: major and minor.

The Major Sixth

The major sixth sounds as follows, played here first one note after the other (as in a melody), and second simultaneously (as in a chord).

[Example 2: the major 6th: (1) successively, (2) simultaneously]

The interval sounds fairly smooth and free of tension. That's to say, it is a consonant interval. It conveys a feeling of stability. The distance between the two notes of a major sixth comprises four whole-steps and one half-step.

4 whole-steps + 1 half-step (= 9 half-steps )

The Minor Sixth

The minor sixth sounds as follows.

[Example 3: the minor 6th: (1) successively, (2) simultaneously]

Like the major sixth, this interval sounds smooth and free of tension, that is, consonant. The distance between the two notes of a minor sixth comprises three whole-steps and two half-steps.

3 whole-steps + 2 half-steps (= 8 half-steps )

(Incidentally, note that all musical intervals are counted inclusively. That is, the first and last notes are both counted. As a result, all intervals comprise one step less than their number might seem to indicate. A sixth thus contains six tones, but only five steps.)

(There are two other kinds of sixth, augmented, and diminished, but these need not concern us here.)

The Sixth in Melody

The sixth is a fairly wide interval. As such, it occurs less frequently in tunes and melodies than smaller intervals. It is used three times in The Star-Spangled Banner, which is a wide-ranging tune with a predominance of leaping intervals. The diagram shows the first three phrases of this tune. In the middle of Phrase 2, there is a leap downward of a minor 6th. And at the beginning of Phrase 3, there is an upward leap of a major 6th. Sing the three phrases quietly to yourself now, and you will see that both intervals take a lot of energy to sing correctly, especially the latter.

Fig 2: The Star-Spangled Banner, phrases 1-3

Now let us listen to a famous aria by Giuseppe Verdi. It comes from the first act of his opera La traviata, composed in 1853. It is a boisterous drinking aria, the opening words of which are: "Be happy and raise your glass with me, Here in the palace of beauty." Verdi mirrors this boisterousness by making the character (a tenor) sing not just one rising major sixth, but three in direct succession. And he does the same for the second phrase.

[Example 4: Verdi: La traviata, Act I, Sc.1, "Libiamo ne' lieto calici"]

Finally, let us return to the opening music of this definition, which exemplifies the sixth beautifully, while showing that it is not always boisterous. A solo violin (accompanied softly by other string instruments), leaps up a major sixth, then descends gradually over the same interval, but filling in all the intervening tones. At the bottom, the melody pauses momentarily, then ascends gradually over the same interval.

Fig 3: Beethoven: String Quartet in A, Op.18, No.5, mvt 3, opening phrase

[Example 5: Beethoven: String Quartet in A, Op.18 No.5: mvt 3]

Summary:

• The sixth is a musical interval comprising two tones, six tones apart.
• There are two commonly found kinds of sixth: major and minor.
• Both are consonant.
• Major and minor sixths are fairly wide intervals, hence occur less frequently in most types of melody.

Note: You may find it useful to consult also the definition of Third, since the third is closely related to the sixth (they are in fact the inverse of one another), and the two behave quite similarly.

Copyright © Columbia University, Visual & Sound Materials from the Gabe M. Wiener Music & Arts Library of Columbia University
Melisma written by: Ian Bent Recording & Mixing: Terry Pender & Christopher Bailey	Narration: Ian Bent Technology & Design: Maurice Matiz