{"id":7245,"date":"2025-10-31T13:23:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?p=7245"},"modified":"2025-10-31T13:23:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:23:51","slug":"tritone-the-devils-interval","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/","title":{"rendered":"The tritone: Why it&#8217;s called the devil&#8217;s interval and how to use it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p style=\"font-size:15px\" class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Illustration:<\/strong> <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Pedro Lourenco (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tigerbastard\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Pedro Lourenco<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Many of us probably naturally gravitate towards intervals such as thirds, sixths, perfect fourths, and perfect fifths when we write melodies and harmonies.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The tritone may be one of the last intervals that comes to mind, written off as a sound that&#8217;s nothing but tense and unpleasant to the ear. However, the tritone is actually anything but forgettable, with a rich history and tons of potential to convey an array of emotions that transcend its one-dimensional reputation. In this article, let&#8217;s walk through what a tritone is, why it&#8217;s called the devil&#8217;s interval, its impact across music history, how to use it, and its surprising sensitive side that isn&#8217;t so diabolical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Feel free to use the table of contents below to jump to a specific topic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What you&#8217;ll learn:<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#WhatIsATritone\"><strong>What is a tritone in music?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#History\"><strong>The history behind the &#8220;devil&#8217;s interval&#8221;<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#HowToUse\"><strong>How to use the tritone in your music<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#TritoneSubstitution\"><strong>What is tritone substitution?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Feeling ready? Let&#8217;s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"WhatIsATritone\">What is a tritone in music?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>tritone<\/strong> is a musical interval that&#8217;s composed of two notes that are six semitones, or three adjacent whole tones, apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within a major scale, there&#8217;s only one instance where a tritone is formed diatonically: between the seventh and fourth scale degrees (ex. B and F form a tritone in the key of C major).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"525\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/tritone-1024x525.jpg\" alt=\"A tritone starting on C, expressed in sheet music\" class=\"wp-image-7257 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/tritone-1024x525.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/tritone-400x205.jpg 400w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/tritone-355x182.jpg 355w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/tritone-768x393.jpg 768w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/tritone-1536x787.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/tritone-2048x1049.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/525;\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A tritone formed by C and F#<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"937\" height=\"1024\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Screenshot-2025-10-31-at-11.08.50\u202fAM-937x1024.png\" alt=\"A tritone starting on C, expressed in MIDI\" class=\"wp-image-38365 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Screenshot-2025-10-31-at-11.08.50\u202fAM-937x1024.png 937w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Screenshot-2025-10-31-at-11.08.50\u202fAM-366x400.png 366w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Screenshot-2025-10-31-at-11.08.50\u202fAM-233x255.png 233w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Screenshot-2025-10-31-at-11.08.50\u202fAM-768x839.png 768w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Screenshot-2025-10-31-at-11.08.50\u202fAM.png 1168w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 937px) 100vw, 937px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 937px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 937\/1024;\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The same tritone, expressed in MIDI<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How a tritone sounds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s take a listen to what the above tritone sounds like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio alignwide\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/tritone-audio-ex_1-1.mp3\" preload=\"auto\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the music theory context and how it&#8217;s notated, a tritone may also be referred to as an <strong>augmented fourth<\/strong> or a <strong>diminished fifth<\/strong>. One reason why the interval sounds so dissonant is because it&#8217;s right in between being a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth, which are two of the most consonant-sounding intervals after unisons and octaves (in the context of western tonal harmony).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"History\">The devil&#8217;s interval: The history of the tritone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Over history, the tritone has made quite a reputation for itself based on its unstable nature, with documentation existing on the interval that spans many centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As far back as the early Middle Ages, tritones were avoided in many forms of ecclesiastical singing due to their unnerving quality. That said, the interval&#8217;s first explicit disapproval came from Italian music theorist Guido of Arezzo, who intentionally structured the collection of notes in his (then widely-used) hexachordal system to avoid any possibility of a tritone occurring, opting for a B\u266d instead of a B\u266e to avoid the clash between an F and a B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This distaste for the tritone continued all the way into the 18th century, when a particular title emerged that referred to the sinister sound: <em>diabolus in musica<\/em>, or &#8220;the devil&#8217;s interval.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though Guido&#8217;s hexachordal system had long fallen out of favor by this time (it was extended around the 14th century to accommodate more notes), the tritone was still viewed by many as a sound that ought to be avoided. This belief was observed particularly closely by the Church, which was a significant authority in music considering the fact that many leading composers of the era were writing secular pieces. <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/notesandqueries\/query\/0,,-1767,00.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Church made their perspective clear<\/a>: music should be a beautiful and moving experience, and anything ugly or jarring should not be used to praise the lord\u2014certainly not an interval that&#8217;s widely associated with the devil&#8217;s name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Facts vs. fiction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Over time, stories have emerged of singers and composers being punished or even excommunicated for attempting to sneak the devil&#8217;s interval into their music. Though it&#8217;s an intriguing thought to entertain, these are largely unfounded myths and urban legends that have no real documentation. That said, the very existence of such tales is indicative of the tritone&#8217;s massive and at times controversial presence in music history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tritone examples in music<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In more recent history, the devil&#8217;s interval has been embraced by none other than artists who belong to &#8220;the devil&#8217;s music:&#8221; rock n&#8217; roll and metal. Taking a liking for its dark sound, bands like Metallica and Black Sabbath crafted some of their most iconic riffs and melodies around the tritone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Metallica&#8217;s &#8220;Enter Sandman&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In Metallica&#8217;s &#8220;Enter Sandman,&#8221; the B\u266d in the main guitar riff creates tension against the song&#8217;s tonal center of E minor:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure><iframe src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/3VqHuw0wFlIHcIPWkhIbdQ?si=1633cd0223bf4876\" width=\"100%\" height=\"80\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allow=\"encrypted-media\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Black Sabbath&#8217;s &#8220;Black Sabbath&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In Black Sabbath&#8217;s &#8220;Black Sabbath,&#8221; the use of the tritone denies the listener of any feeling of resolution:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure><iframe src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/6q4yVOTF91QRCukCQ1IzTV?si=015368e0ce4d4da7\" width=\"100%\" height=\"80\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allow=\"encrypted-media\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These bands (and countless others) used the tritone in a way that would make Gudio of Arezzo shudder: to intentionally add tension and darkness to their music. With these examples alone, the interval may seem like a diabolical one-trick pony. However, ending things here would neglect a whole other side of the tritone\u2014one that&#8217;s surprisingly delicate and beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"HowToUse\">How to use the tritone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After exploring the tritone&#8217;s history and listening to some of its most iconic use cases, it may be hard to imagine it as anything other than the devil&#8217;s interval. However, the tritone can actually transform its character entirely with the power of harmony\u2014as an example, let&#8217;s take a look at <a aria-label=\"half-diminished seventh chords. (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/what-is-a-diminished-chord\/#:~:text=What%20is%20a%20half%2Ddiminished%20seventh%20chord%3F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">half-diminished seventh chords.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"726\" height=\"330\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/half-dim-7-e1572475518299.png\" alt=\"half-diminished-7-sheet-music\" class=\"wp-image-7283 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/half-dim-7-e1572475518299.png 726w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/half-dim-7-e1572475518299-400x182.png 400w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/half-dim-7-e1572475518299-355x161.png 355w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 726px) 100vw, 726px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 726px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 726\/330;\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A half-diminished seventh chord built on C<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Half-diminished seventh chords contain a root, a minor third, a diminished fifth (a.k.a. a tritone), and a minor seventh. This is what the half-diminished seventh chord notated above sounds like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio alignwide\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/half-dim-audio-ex-1.mp3\" preload=\"auto\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That may still sound pretty dissonant to you; the chord contains both a tritone (the diminished fifth) and a minor seventh, which aren&#8217;t exactly the most consonant intervals out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, what matters more than anything in music theory is <em>context<\/em>\u2014with the right circumstances, we can make a major chord sound melancholy, a minor chord sound triumphant, and even a tritone sound beautiful. Let&#8217;s put this idea into action by adding a tritone to the last four bars of one of the most consonant songs out there: &#8220;Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The angel&#8217;s interval\u2026?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a reference point, below is a standard harmonization of our favorite lullaby:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2522\" height=\"554\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.01.47-PM.png\" alt=\"twinkle-twinkle-standard-harmonization\" class=\"wp-image-7287 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.01.47-PM.png 2522w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.01.47-PM-400x88.png 400w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.01.47-PM-1024x225.png 1024w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.01.47-PM-355x78.png 355w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.01.47-PM-768x169.png 768w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.01.47-PM-1536x337.png 1536w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.01.47-PM-2048x450.png 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 2522px) 100vw, 2522px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 2522px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 2522\/554;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio alignwide\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/twinkle-twinkle-01-1.mp3\" preload=\"auto\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, let&#8217;s take a listen to what happens when we substitute one of our IV chords with a half-diminished seventh chord:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2572\" height=\"556\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.06.29-PM.png\" alt=\"twinkle-twinkle-half-diminished-seventh-harmonization\" class=\"wp-image-7288 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.06.29-PM.png 2572w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.06.29-PM-400x86.png 400w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.06.29-PM-1024x221.png 1024w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.06.29-PM-355x77.png 355w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.06.29-PM-768x166.png 768w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.06.29-PM-1536x332.png 1536w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.06.29-PM-2048x443.png 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 2572px) 100vw, 2572px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 2572px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 2572\/556;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio alignwide\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/twinkle-twinkle-02-1.mp3\" preload=\"auto\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The half-diminished seventh chord that was so dissonant when heard in isolation now sounds beautiful, adding a melancholy feeling that we couldn&#8217;t achieve with the IV chord that it replaced. What&#8217;s more, the tritone, our so-called devil&#8217;s interval, is without doubt the star that makes this chord shine; its non-diatonic color adds surprise and wonder to the otherwise predictable chord progression, and the fleeting dissonance sweetens the satisfaction of our resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we have the basic idea, let&#8217;s hear the excerpt in an arrangement that&#8217;s more musical than a melody over block chords. We&#8217;ll add some simple arpeggios, transpose everything up by two octaves for emotional effect, and throw in a second half-diminished seventh chord for fun:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2594\" height=\"660\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.14.00-PM.png\" alt=\"twinkle-twinkle-half-diminished-seventh-harmonization-02\" class=\"wp-image-7289 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.14.00-PM.png 2594w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.14.00-PM-400x102.png 400w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.14.00-PM-1024x261.png 1024w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.14.00-PM-355x90.png 355w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.14.00-PM-768x195.png 768w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.14.00-PM-1536x391.png 1536w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-7.14.00-PM-2048x521.png 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 2594px) 100vw, 2594px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 2594px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 2594\/660;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio alignwide\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/twinkle-twinkle-03-1.mp3\" preload=\"auto\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we wrap things up, let&#8217;s discuss one more popular use case for the interval: tritone substitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"TritoneSubstitution\">Tritone substitution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A <strong>tritone substitution<\/strong> occurs when you replace a dominant seventh chord (V7) with another dominant seventh chord that&#8217;s a tritone away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, instead of using a G7 to resolve to a C, you could swap the G7 with a D\u266d7 and still achieve a feeling of resolution. Here&#8217;s what these two moves sound like, back-to-back:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio alignwide\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/tritone-substitution.mp3\" preload=\"auto\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does tritone substitution work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s important to take note of two things to understand <em>why<\/em> tritone substitutions work. The first is that if you break down a dominant seventh chord, you&#8217;ll find that it in itself contains a tritone\u2014going back to our example of G7, the chord contains the pitches G, B, D, and F, and you can see that B and F form a tritone. This dissonant interval creates a strong tendency to resolve, and part of the reason why the V7 &#8211; I cadence is so satisfying is because it does exactly that; the B in the G7 chord resolves upwards to C, and the F resolves down to E.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second thing to note is that tritones are exactly half of an octave, which makes them <strong>inversionally symmetrical<\/strong>\u2014meaning that if you flip a tritone around, you still get a tritone; B and F form a tritone, as do F and B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These two principles are what make tritone substitutions effective. The D\u266d7 heard earlier still contains the same pair of pitches (F and C\u266d, which is <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/an-introduction-to-melody\/#:~:text=this%20idea%20of%20having%20two%20or%20more%20possible%20names%20for%20a%20single%20pitch%20is%20known%20as%20enharmonic%20equivalence.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">enharmonically equivalent<\/a> to B), which both resolve in the same way as they did with the G7, enabling that same feeling of resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tritone substitution chart<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>So, the next time you&#8217;re looking to resolve to your I chord, but want it to feel a little more colorful or jazzy, try swapping the V7 chord with its tritone substitution and see if it works for your music\u2014here&#8217;s a chart of each substitution for easy reference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!-- Tritone substitution chart - paste into WordPress Custom HTML block -->\n<style>\n.tritone-table {\n  width: 100%;\n  max-width: 1000px;\n  border-collapse: collapse;\n  font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, \"Segoe UI\", Roboto, \"Helvetica Neue\", Arial;\n  margin: 0.75rem 0;\n  box-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.05);\n}\n.tritone-table th,\n.tritone-table td {\n  border: 1px solid #e6e6e6;\n  padding: 8px 10px;\n  text-align: left;\n  vertical-align: top;\n  font-size: 14px;\n}\n.tritone-table thead th {\n  background: linear-gradient(#f8f8f8, #f1f1f1);\n  font-weight: 600;\n  letter-spacing: .2px;\n}\n.tritone-table tbody tr:nth-child(odd) {\n  background: #fff;\n}\n.tritone-table tbody tr:nth-child(even) {\n  background: #fbfbfb;\n}\n.small {\n  color: #555;\n  font-size: 13px;\n}\n.note {\n  margin-top: 0.5rem;\n  font-size: 13px;\n  color: #444;\n  max-width: 1000px;\n}\n.kicker {\n  font-weight: 700;\n  margin-top: 0.6rem;\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<table class=\"tritone-table\" aria-label=\"Tritone substitution chart\">\n  <thead>\n    <tr>\n      <th>Key<\/th>\n      <th>Dominant (V7)<\/th>\n      <th>Tritone substitution<\/th>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/thead>\n  <tbody>\n    <tr>\n      <td>C<\/td>\n      <td>G7 \u2014 (G \u00b7 B \u00b7 D \u00b7 F)<\/td>\n      <td>D\u266d7 \u2014 (D\u266d \u00b7 F \u00b7 A\u266d \u00b7 C\u266d)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>C\u266f<\/td>\n      <td>G\u266f7 \u2014 (G\u266f \u00b7 B\u266f \u00b7 D\u266f \u00b7 F\u266f)<\/td>\n      <td>D7 \u2014 (D \u00b7 F\u266f \u00b7 A \u00b7 C)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>D\u266d<\/td>\n      <td>A\u266d7 \u2014 (A\u266d \u00b7 C \u00b7 E\u266d \u00b7 G\u266d)<\/td>\n      <td>D7 \u2014 (D \u00b7 F\u266f \u00b7 A \u00b7 C)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>D<\/td>\n      <td>A7 \u2014 (A \u00b7 C\u266f \u00b7 E \u00b7 G)<\/td>\n      <td>E\u266d7 \u2014 (E\u266d \u00b7 G \u00b7 B\u266d \u00b7 D\u266d)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>D\u266f<\/td>\n      <td>A\u266f7 \u2014 (A\u266f \u00b7 C\ud834\udd2a (C-double-sharp) \u00b7 E\u266f \u00b7 G\u266f) <span class=\"small\">readable enharmonic shown next<\/span><\/td>\n      <td>E7 \u2014 (E \u00b7 G\u266f \u00b7 B \u00b7 D)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>E\u266d<\/td>\n      <td>B\u266d7 \u2014 (B\u266d \u00b7 D \u00b7 F \u00b7 A\u266d)<\/td>\n      <td>E7 \u2014 (E \u00b7 G\u266f \u00b7 B \u00b7 D)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>E<\/td>\n      <td>B7 \u2014 (B \u00b7 D\u266f \u00b7 F\u266f \u00b7 A)<\/td>\n      <td>F7 \u2014 (F \u00b7 A \u00b7 C \u00b7 E\u266d)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>F<\/td>\n      <td>C7 \u2014 (C \u00b7 E \u00b7 G \u00b7 B\u266d)<\/td>\n      <td>G\u266d7 \u2014 (G\u266d \u00b7 B\u266d \u00b7 D\u266d \u00b7 F\u266d)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>F\u266f<\/td>\n      <td>C\u266f7 \u2014 (C\u266f \u00b7 E\u266f \u00b7 G\u266f \u00b7 B)<\/td>\n      <td>G7 \u2014 (G \u00b7 B \u00b7 D \u00b7 F)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>G\u266d<\/td>\n      <td>D\u266d7 \u2014 (D\u266d \u00b7 F \u00b7 A\u266d \u00b7 C\u266d)<\/td>\n      <td>G7 \u2014 (G \u00b7 B \u00b7 D \u00b7 F)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>G<\/td>\n      <td>D7 \u2014 (D \u00b7 F\u266f \u00b7 A \u00b7 C)<\/td>\n      <td>A\u266d7 \u2014 (A\u266d \u00b7 C \u00b7 E\u266d \u00b7 G\u266d)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>G\u266f<\/td>\n      <td>D\u266f7 \u2014 (D\u266f \u00b7 F\ud834\udd2a \u00b7 A\u266f \u00b7 C\u266f) <span class=\"small\">readable enharmonic: E\u266d7 shown below<\/span><\/td>\n      <td>A7 \u2014 (A \u00b7 C\u266f \u00b7 E \u00b7 G)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>A\u266d<\/td>\n      <td>E\u266d7 \u2014 (E\u266d \u00b7 G \u00b7 B\u266d \u00b7 D\u266d)<\/td>\n      <td>A7 \u2014 (A \u00b7 C\u266f \u00b7 E \u00b7 G)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>A<\/td>\n      <td>E7 \u2014 (E \u00b7 G\u266f \u00b7 B \u00b7 D)<\/td>\n      <td>B\u266d7 \u2014 (B\u266d \u00b7 D \u00b7 F \u00b7 A\u266d)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>A\u266f<\/td>\n      <td>E\u266f7 \u2014 (E\u266f \u00b7 G\ud834\udd2a \u00b7 B\u266f \u00b7 D\u266f) <span class=\"small\">readable enharmonic shown next<\/span><\/td>\n      <td>B7 \u2014 (B \u00b7 D\u266f \u00b7 F\u266f \u00b7 A)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>B\u266d<\/td>\n      <td>F7 \u2014 (F \u00b7 A \u00b7 C \u00b7 E\u266d)<\/td>\n      <td>B7 \u2014 (B \u00b7 D\u266f \u00b7 F\u266f \u00b7 A)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>B<\/td>\n      <td>F\u266f7 \u2014 (F\u266f \u00b7 A\u266f \u00b7 C\u266f \u00b7 E)<\/td>\n      <td>C7 \u2014 (C \u00b7 E \u00b7 G \u00b7 B\u266d)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>C\u266d<\/td>\n      <td>G\u266d7 \u2014 (G\u266d \u00b7 B\u266d \u00b7 D\u266d \u00b7 F\u266d)<\/td>\n      <td>C7 \u2014 (C \u00b7 E \u00b7 G \u00b7 B\u266d)<\/td>\n    <\/tr>\n  <\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that some rare theoretical keys (D\u266f, G\u266f, and A\u266f) are spelled with double sharps, and to keep the chart readable, the tritone substitution side maintains some common spellings (for example, using E7 as the tritone substitution for both A\u266f7 and B\u266d7 instead of E7 and F\u266d7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Conclusion\">The tritone: Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What&#8217;s important to take away from all of this is that context is everything when it comes to applying music theory in practice, and that intervals and chords can&#8217;t be analyzed solely in segmented, instantaneous moments. We would be doing ourselves a disservice if we assumed that tritones can only be dark and dissonant, just because Guido of Arezzo said so centuries ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, at the end of the day they&#8217;re undeniably great for doing that as well\u2014so if you want to write your own angsty, Halloween-spirited riff, calling upon the devil&#8217;s interval may do just the trick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Explore some royalty-free loops and one-shots that feature the tritone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/sounds\/collections\/CniisnFD_nPApiTDHidIL39Y_cA\/samples\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Explore the sounds<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let&#8217;s walk through what a tritone is, its impact across music history, and its surprising sensitive side that isn&#8217;t so diabolical.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":7264,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1699,1696],"tags":[1749,1633,1386,1641,1254],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Tritone: Why It&#039;s Called the Devil&#039;s Interval and How to Use It - Blog | Splice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about what a tritone is, why it&#039;s called the devil&#039;s interval, and how to use it in your music in a way that isn&#039;t so diabolical.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Tritone: Why It&#039;s Called the Devil&#039;s Interval and How to Use It - Blog | Splice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn about what a tritone is, why it&#039;s called the devil&#039;s interval, and how to use it in your music in a way that isn&#039;t so diabolical.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blog | Splice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Splice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-31T17:23:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-31T17:23:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Devils_Interval_BlogPost.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Harrison Shimazu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/bitly.com\/namaboku-twt\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@splice\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Harrison Shimazu\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Harrison Shimazu\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1ed73f890efad66c4808440680e9e50d\"},\"headline\":\"The tritone: Why it&#8217;s called the devil&#8217;s interval and how to use it\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-31T17:23:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-31T17:23:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/\"},\"wordCount\":1916,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Devils_Interval_BlogPost.png\",\"keywords\":[\"collections\",\"composition\",\"history\",\"intermediate\",\"sounds\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Music Theory\",\"Tips &amp; Tutorials\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/\",\"name\":\"The Tritone: Why It's Called the Devil's Interval and How to Use It - Blog | Splice\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Devils_Interval_BlogPost.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-31T17:23:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-31T17:23:51+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn about what a tritone is, why it's called the devil's interval, and how to use it in your music in a way that isn't so diabolical.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Devils_Interval_BlogPost.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Devils_Interval_BlogPost.png\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1200,\"caption\":\"tritone-devils-interval-music-theory\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The tritone: Why it&#8217;s called the devil&#8217;s interval and how to use it\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Splice Blog\",\"description\":\"An inside look at making music\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Splice\",\"alternateName\":\"Splice Sounds\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Splice-logo-black-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Splice-logo-black-background.png\",\"width\":2928,\"height\":1540,\"caption\":\"Splice\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Splice\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/splice\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/splice\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@splice\",\"https:\/\/discord.com\/invite\/splice\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1ed73f890efad66c4808440680e9e50d\",\"name\":\"Harrison Shimazu\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/208af1495724cce6967f47553c4b971a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/208af1495724cce6967f47553c4b971a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Harrison Shimazu\"},\"description\":\"Harrison Shimazu is a composer, content strategist, and writer who's passionate about democratizing music creation and education. He leads the Splice blog and produces vocaloid music as Namaboku.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@namaboku\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/bitly.com\/namaboku-twt\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/author\/harrisons\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Tritone: Why It's Called the Devil's Interval and How to Use It - Blog | Splice","description":"Learn about what a tritone is, why it's called the devil's interval, and how to use it in your music in a way that isn't so diabolical.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Tritone: Why It's Called the Devil's Interval and How to Use It - Blog | Splice","og_description":"Learn about what a tritone is, why it's called the devil's interval, and how to use it in your music in a way that isn't so diabolical.","og_url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/","og_site_name":"Blog | Splice","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Splice","article_published_time":"2025-10-31T17:23:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-31T17:23:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1200,"url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Devils_Interval_BlogPost.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Harrison Shimazu","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/bitly.com\/namaboku-twt","twitter_site":"@splice","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Harrison Shimazu","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/"},"author":{"name":"Harrison Shimazu","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1ed73f890efad66c4808440680e9e50d"},"headline":"The tritone: Why it&#8217;s called the devil&#8217;s interval and how to use it","datePublished":"2025-10-31T17:23:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-31T17:23:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/"},"wordCount":1916,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Devils_Interval_BlogPost.png","keywords":["collections","composition","history","intermediate","sounds"],"articleSection":["Music Theory","Tips &amp; Tutorials"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/","name":"The Tritone: Why It's Called the Devil's Interval and How to Use It - Blog | Splice","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Devils_Interval_BlogPost.png","datePublished":"2025-10-31T17:23:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-31T17:23:51+00:00","description":"Learn about what a tritone is, why it's called the devil's interval, and how to use it in your music in a way that isn't so diabolical.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Devils_Interval_BlogPost.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Devils_Interval_BlogPost.png","width":1920,"height":1200,"caption":"tritone-devils-interval-music-theory"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/tritone-the-devils-interval\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The tritone: Why it&#8217;s called the devil&#8217;s interval and how to use it"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/","name":"Splice Blog","description":"An inside look at making music","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Splice","alternateName":"Splice Sounds","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Splice-logo-black-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Splice-logo-black-background.png","width":2928,"height":1540,"caption":"Splice"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Splice","https:\/\/x.com\/splice","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/splice\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@splice","https:\/\/discord.com\/invite\/splice"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/1ed73f890efad66c4808440680e9e50d","name":"Harrison Shimazu","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/208af1495724cce6967f47553c4b971a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/208af1495724cce6967f47553c4b971a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Harrison Shimazu"},"description":"Harrison Shimazu is a composer, content strategist, and writer who's passionate about democratizing music creation and education. He leads the Splice blog and produces vocaloid music as Namaboku.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@namaboku","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/bitly.com\/namaboku-twt"],"url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/author\/harrisons\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7245"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7245"}],"version-history":[{"count":48,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7245\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38369,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7245\/revisions\/38369"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}