The distance spanning ten note names, with 15 semitones between them.
Chords whose formulas include this interval from the root note.
Scales whose formulas include this interval.
Intervals with a comparable quality and character.
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The minor tenth (m10) is a wide, compound interval spanning 15 semitones. It is essentially a minor third plus an octave, providing a spread-out, "open" minor sound that is a cornerstone of professional piano voicing and guitar fingerpicking.
The m10 occurs between a root and its tenth letter name (the third name in the next octave), such as C to E♭'. It is enharmonically equivalent to an augmented ninth (♯9), but its function is melodic or chordal rather than an altered tension. Proper spelling is vital to distinguish it from the "blue note" ♯9 tension found in dominant chords.
Harmonically, the m10 is the preferred way to express minor quality in spread voicings. Because the lower interval of a minor third can sound "muddy" in low registers, moving the third up an octave creates a clearer, more resonant minor character. Melodically, a leap of a minor tenth is dramatic and expansive, frequently used in modern cinematic themes and solo bass arrangements to cover a large frequency range quickly.
Practice visualizing the m10 as a minor third with air. On the piano, it is a hallmark of the "tenth" technique, requiring a large hand span or a slight roll. On the guitar, it is typically played on non-adjacent strings (e.g., Low E and G string).
When composing, use the m10 instead of a close-position minor third to provide transparency in your arrangements. In orchestral writing, a minor tenth between the cellos and violas creates a rich, mournful texture that sounds significantly more "cinematic" than a standard minor triad.