Major third third is 13:10 (454¢) . A helpful way to recognize a major third is to hum the first two notes of "Kumbaya" or of "When the Saints Go Marching In". A descending major third is heard at the starts of "Goodnight, Ladies" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". In equal temperament three major thirds in a row are equal to an octave (for example, A to C, C to E, and E to G; G and A represent the same note). This is sometimes called the "circle of thirds". In just intonation, however, three 5:4 major thirds are less than an
Ladder of thirds Ladder of thirds A ladder of thirds (coined by van der Merwe 1989, adapted from Curt Sachs) is similar to the circle of fifths, though a ladder of thirds differs in being composed of thirds, major or minor, and may or may not circle back to its starting note and thus may or may not be an interval cycle. Triadic chords may be considered as part of a ladder of thirds. It is a modal frame found in Blues and British folk music. Though a pentatonic type, the melodies come "into being through piling up thirds below and/or above a