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[QUOTE="Reasonably Badass, post: 87544"]
A tritone is exactly 6 semitones, right in the middle of the octave. The interesting thing is that it can be spelled two different ways:

[B]As an augmented fourth[/B], diatonically, you count four letter names (just like a perfect fourth), but chromatically it's 6 semitones instead of 5. From F#6: F-G-A-B = four letter names, and F# to B# (or enharmonically C) = 6 semitones. So [B]B#6[/B] would be your augmented fourth.

[B]As a diminished fifth[/B], diatonically, you count five letter names (just like a perfect fifth), but chromatically it's 6 semitones instead of 7. From F#6: F-G-A-B-C = five letter names, and F# to C natural = 6 semitones. So [B]C6[/B] would be your diminished fifth.

Both land on the same pitch sonically; B# and C natural are enharmonic equivalents. The difference is purely in how you spell and think about it.

In your F# bebop dominant scale, you have E# (which functions as the major 7th). You don't have B# or C natural as scale tones, so a tritone from F# actually takes you [I]outside[/I] the scale. That makes sense, because the tritone is the most dissonant interval; it naturally creates tension that wants to resolve back into the key.
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