Compound · 13 semitones
Minor 9th
Thirteen semitones — a minor 2nd extended an octave. Extremely dissonant in a wide, almost eerie way. Used in jazz and modern harmony.
How to Hear It
How to Identify It
Like a minor 2nd but stretched out — the dissonance feels spread and haunting rather than crunching. Used in jazz chord voicings for tension.
Famous Examples
- Jazz chord voicings — minor 9th extensions
- Film scores for tension and unease
Often Confused With
All Intervals
About the Minor 9th
The Minor 9th (m9) is a compound interval spanning 13 semitones. Thirteen semitones — a minor 2nd extended an octave. Extremely dissonant in a wide, almost eerie way. Used in jazz and modern harmony.
To train your ear to identify the minor 9th reliably, practice hearing it in all three modes — ascending, descending, and harmonic. The ascending version is most commonly tested, but recognising it in all contexts is the mark of a trained ear. Use the trainer above to test yourself in a mixed set of all intervals.