Wiktionary
n. (context music English) A third that is between a major third and a minor third in size; an interval of approximately three and a half semitones.
Wikipedia
A neutral third is a musical interval wider than a minor third but narrower than a major third , named by Jan Pieter Land in 1880; the name has been taken over by Alois Hába. Three distinct intervals may be termed neutral thirds:
- The undecimal neutral third has a ratio of 11:9 between the frequencies of the two tones, or about 347.41 cents .
- A tridecimal neutral third has a ratio of 16:13 between the frequencies of the two tones, or about 359.47 cents. This is the largest neutral third, and occurs infrequently in music, as little music utilizes the 13th harmonic.
- An equal-tempered neutral third is characterized by a difference in 350 cents between the two tones, a hair wider than the 11:9 ratio, and exactly half of an equal-tempered perfect fifth.
These intervals are all within about 12 cents and are difficult for most people to distinguish by ear. Neutral thirds are roughly a quarter tone sharp from 12 equal temperament minor thirds and a quarter tone flat from 12-ET major thirds. In just intonation, as well as in tunings such as 31-ET, 41-ET, or 72-ET, which more closely approximate just intonation, the intervals are closer together.
A neutral third can be formed by stacking a neutral second together with a whole tone. Zalzal's wosta, a neutral third of 354.55 cents, may be constructed through the addition of a whole tone and a three quarter tone: 9/8 X 12/11 = 27/22. Based on its positioning in the harmonic series, the undecimal neutral third implies a root one whole tone below the lower of the two notes.
A triad formed by two neutral thirds is neither major nor minor, thus the neutral thirds triad is ambiguous. While it is not found in twelve tone equal temperament it is found in others such as the quarter tone scale and 31-tet .
Usage examples of "neutral third".
Plus recoup costs on any aircraft lost on the mission, to be escrowed in a Swiss bank account controlled by a neutral third party.
I am also authorized to act as a neutral third party for purposes of arbitration and parley, to arrange exchanges of prisoners and cease-fires, and to ensure that, insofar as any war can be conducted in a civilized manner, this one is.
King Duncan returned Reghar's gaze without faltering-this staring-down contest was an ancient dwarvish practice and, if the parties were particularly stubborn, had been known to result in both dwarves keeling over from exhaustion unless interrupted by some neutral third party.
First, I realized that the most potentially dangerous and subversive of fictional characters is the narrator who speaks in a confiding, authoritative, and supposedly neutral third-person voice.
Requested assistance mine as neutral third party, yet citizen of Empire.
Fallon looked around as if searching for some neutral third party to witness what was happening to him now, but there was no one.