Tritone

05jrock · 10-08-2008, 06:07 AM

What is the tritone?

I watched a dvd the other weekend about the origins of heavy metal and the guy said it all basically started with the tritone.There wasnt much explaining of it though.

armann · 10-08-2008, 07:11 AM

The tritone is a musical interval that spans three whole tones. The tritone is the same as an augmented fourth, which in 12-tone equal temperament is enharmonic to a diminished fifth. It is often used as the main interval of dissonance in Western harmony, and is important in the study of musical harmony.

Wiki...I couldn't explain it better

ES350 · 10-08-2008, 05:13 PM

Well, it would seem to me that it revolves around the use of open fifths rather than tritones...that's the predominant interval/'chord' that everybody has been playing for the last 30 years...(make that almost 40). I don't hear many b5 chords. And parallel fifths are a big no-no in common practice harmony...

Splattle101 · 10-09-2008, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ES350

Well, it would seem to me that it revolves around the use of open fifths rather than tritones...that's the predominant interval/'chord' that everybody has been playing for the last 30 years...(make that almost 40). I don't hear many b5 chords. And parallel fifths are a big no-no in common practice harmony...

Agree. You don't hear too many diminished fifths in metal chords. However, you do run across them in metal melodies.

But to hear an all-time classic example of the tritone in its full mawkish glory, listen to that on-beat stomp at the beginning of Purple Haze.

It's not metal (proto metal?), but it's a tritone.

It sounds 'bad' because it wants to resolve down to the fourth or up to the fifth.

Splat

05jrock · 10-09-2008, 05:43 AM

Sounds like I need to learn quite a bit more before I could fully understand.

capitalalchemy · 10-09-2008, 02:23 PM

If a guitarist learns the most basic forms of major and minor triadic chord structures (and augmented and diminished), he'll understand heavy metal all the way through. In fact, if you used these inverted chord structures, you would never need a power chord again.

GuitArticles

ES350 · 10-10-2008, 10:22 AM

It could be argued that jazz harmony from the late 30's on revolved around the use of the tritone, either as dominant chords, altered chords, b5 substitutes, or as melodic and harmonic devices...but not heavy metal; most of that has been based on blues/pentatonics until the 80's, when the Locrian mode showed up...

Boleskinehouse · 10-10-2008, 01:36 PM

The song Black Sabbath.

JasonC · 10-10-2008, 01:55 PM

Didn't tritones used to be considered satanic?

05jrock · 10-10-2008, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boleskinehouse

The song Black Sabbath.

cool man.that will help me understand it heaps easier.

05jrock · 10-10-2008, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JasonC

Didn't tritones used to be considered satanic?

thats what the guy who made the dvd I watched said.Alot of musicians he spoke to said about bethoven using it quite often.

specflec · 10-17-2008, 07:31 PM

Tritones act as leading tones many times - resolving up to the fifth or down to the forth depending on the direction of the melody. And it is used as a melodic interval more than just a harmonic devise. The tritone actually divides the major/minor scale in exactly half - sixth step in either direction.

whhooo boy - that was really clear. Yes?

lowe · 10-19-2008, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JasonC

Didn't tritones used to be considered satanic?

Bole told me musicians in the middle ages were put to death for them.

TheWellGoodShow · 10-19-2008, 02:36 PM

does any body know what the equation for the tritone was, I remember it was cos(x something?

lowe · 10-19-2008, 02:41 PM

I love to use them as runs all the way up the neck. Zakk Wylde uses them quite abit, in Concrete Jungle, and a few others

Geetarguy · 10-19-2008, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 05jrock

What is the tritone?

I watched a dvd the other weekend about the origins of heavy metal and the guy said it all basically started with the tritone.There wasnt much explaining of it though.

Get the new Holiday 2008 issue of Guitar World..Tony Iommi on the cover. Read it and listen to Sabbath......then.....and only then.....you will know........

Geetarguy · 10-19-2008, 02:49 PM

Tritone/augmented fourth interval=diabolus in musica-the devil in music

05jrock · 10-19-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geetarguy

Get the new Holiday 2008 issue of Guitar World..Tony Iommi on the cover. Read it and listen to Sabbath......then.....and only then.....you will know........

cool man,I will look for it.
Thanks for all the replies guys

Hectgore · 10-19-2008, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 05jrock

thats what the guy who made the dvd I watched said.Alot of musicians he spoke to said about bethoven using it quite often.

METAL:Headbangers Journey?

was it that one?

05jrock · 10-19-2008, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hectgore

METAL:Headbangers Journey?

was it that one?

yea man thats the one

Hectgore · 10-20-2008, 07:08 PM

that dvds awesome ive watched it aaround 5 times already ahah.

05jrock · 10-21-2008, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hectgore

that dvds awesome ive watched it aaround 5 times already ahah.

How nuts are the Norweigen metal bands.Burning churches down,crazy.

madams17 · 10-29-2008, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boleskinehouse

The song Black Sabbath.

low E string open
E on the D string at the 2nd fret
Bb on the A string and wiggle

That is such a cool riff

10-08-2008, 06:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
05jrock Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: wellington,nz Posts: 1,173 Thanks: 14 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Tritone What is the tritone? I watched a dvd the other weekend about the origins of heavy metal and the guy said it all basically started with the tritone.There wasnt much explaining of it though.

10-08-2008, 07:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
armann Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Iceland Posts: 649 Thanks: 3 Thanked 6 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Tritone The tritone is a musical interval that spans three whole tones. The tritone is the same as an augmented fourth, which in 12-tone equal temperament is enharmonic to a diminished fifth. It is often used as the main interval of dissonance in Western harmony, and is important in the study of musical harmony. Wiki...I couldn't explain it better __________________ ... you're not going to live forever ... ... I'm not stupid Lucious, no one lives forever, no one ... but with advances in modern science ... and my high level income ... I mean like crazy think I can't live to be 245, maybe 300 ...

10-08-2008, 05:13 PM	#3 (permalink)
ES350 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 213 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Tritone Well, it would seem to me that it revolves around the use of open fifths rather than tritones...that's the predominant interval/'chord' that everybody has been playing for the last 30 years...(make that almost 40). I don't hear many b5 chords. And parallel fifths are a big no-no in common practice harmony...

10-09-2008, 05:43 AM	#5 (permalink)
05jrock Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: wellington,nz Posts: 1,173 Thanks: 14 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Tritone Sounds like I need to learn quite a bit more before I could fully understand.

10-09-2008, 02:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
capitalalchemy Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 90 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Tritone If a guitarist learns the most basic forms of major and minor triadic chord structures (and augmented and diminished), he'll understand heavy metal all the way through. In fact, if you used these inverted chord structures, you would never need a power chord again. GuitArticles

Today
Les Paul	Sponsored Links __________________ This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members. Register your free account today and become a member on My Les Paul Forums

10-10-2008, 10:22 AM	#7 (permalink)
ES350 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 213 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Tritone It could be argued that jazz harmony from the late 30's on revolved around the use of the tritone, either as dominant chords, altered chords, b5 substitutes, or as melodic and harmonic devices...but not heavy metal; most of that has been based on blues/pentatonics until the 80's, when the Locrian mode showed up...

10-10-2008, 01:36 PM	#8 (permalink)
Boleskinehouse V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Next to Raleighwood Posts: 8,323 Thanks: 25 Thanked 39 Times in 17 Posts	Re: Tritone The song Black Sabbath. __________________ http://www.geartalk.com Join us..

10-10-2008, 01:55 PM	#9 (permalink)
JasonC Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,339 Thanks: 24 Thanked 3 Times in 1 Post	Re: Tritone Didn't tritones used to be considered satanic?

10-17-2008, 07:31 PM	#12 (permalink)
specflec Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Iowa - soon to be New York State Posts: 870 Thanks: 76 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Tritone Tritones act as leading tones many times - resolving up to the fifth or down to the forth depending on the direction of the melody. And it is used as a melodic interval more than just a harmonic devise. The tritone actually divides the major/minor scale in exactly half - sixth step in either direction. whhooo boy - that was really clear. Yes?

10-19-2008, 02:36 PM	#14 (permalink)
TheWellGoodShow V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: the south Posts: 2,928 Thanks: 43 Thanked 7 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Tritone does any body know what the equation for the tritone was, I remember it was cos(x something? __________________ "Now Known as The Post-O-Matic 5000" ZOMG! Its Gemma!!

10-19-2008, 02:41 PM	#15 (permalink)
lowe V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,240 Thanks: 16 Thanked 9 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Tritone I love to use them as runs all the way up the neck. Zakk Wylde uses them quite abit, in Concrete Jungle, and a few others __________________ I guarantee I'm reading a pickguard on/off thread, or one on topwraping. ---The schnozberries taste like schnozberries.

10-19-2008, 02:49 PM	#17 (permalink)
Geetarguy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Southern California Posts: 472 Thanks: 2 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Tritone Tritone/augmented fourth interval=diabolus in musica-the devil in music __________________ http://www.myspace.com/316290857 http://www.myspace.com/brothersrox

10-20-2008, 07:08 PM	#21 (permalink)
Hectgore Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 478 Thanks: 6 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Tritone that dvds awesome ive watched it aaround 5 times already ahah. __________________

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode