Intervals
Intervals, heard and explained
An interval is the distance between two notes. Pick one to hear it going up, going down and both notes together, see it on a keyboard and a staff, and find a tune that starts with it.
| Interval | Semitones | Going up | Going down | Pure ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minor second | 1 | Ode to Joy (after the repeated first note) | Joy to the World | 16:15 |
| Major second | 2 | Happy Birthday (after the repeated first note) | Mary Had a Little Lamb | 9:8 |
| Minor third | 3 | Greensleeves | Jesus Loves Me | 6:5 |
| Major third | 4 | When the Saints Go Marching In | Swing Low, Sweet Chariot | 5:4 |
| Perfect fourth | 5 | Amazing Grace; Here Comes the Bride | Eine kleine Nachtmusik | 4:3 |
| Tritone | 6 | - | - | 7:5 |
| Perfect fifth | 7 | Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (after the repeated first note) | - | 3:2 |
| Minor sixth | 8 | The Entertainer (its first high note) | - | 8:5 |
| Major sixth | 9 | My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean | Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen | 5:3 |
| Minor seventh | 10 | - | - | 9:5 |
| Major seventh | 11 | - | - | 15:8 |
| Octave | 12 | Take Me Out to the Ball Game | - | 2:1 |
How intervals are named
An interval has a number and a quality. The number counts letter names from the lower note to the upper, both included: C to E is a third (C, D, E), C to G a fifth. The quality says which size: major or minor for seconds, thirds, sixths and sevenths, perfect for fourths, fifths and octaves.
The size in semitones is what you hear. A semitone is the step from one piano key to the very next, so C to E is 4 semitones, a major third, and C to E♭ is 3, a minor third. The tritone, 6 semitones, sits between the fourth and the fifth.
Melodic and harmonic intervals
A melodic interval is two notes one after the other, as in a tune; a harmonic interval is two notes at once, as in harmony. Each page plays both: Up and Down one after the other, Together at once.
Pure tuning and piano tuning
A piano splits the octave into 12 equal semitones of 100 cents each, so its intervals are whole hundreds. Singers holding a chord drift toward pure intervals (also called just intonation), the simple ratios where the notes' overtones line up and the sound stops wobbling: a pure fifth is 3:2, a pure major third 5:4. Switch each page between Equal and Pure to hear the difference.
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Questions
What is an interval in music?
The distance in pitch between two notes, named by how many letter names it spans and its quality: C to E is a major third, C to G a perfect fifth.
How many intervals are there?
Within one octave there are 12 sizes, from the minor second (1 semitone) to the major seventh (11), plus the octave (12). Wider intervals, like the ninth, are an octave plus one of these.
What is the easiest way to learn intervals by ear?
Tie each interval to a tune that starts with it, like Amazing Grace for a fourth going up, then practise a few minutes a day. The table above has a tune for most intervals, and the interval ear trainer quizzes you on them.
What is the difference between a major and a minor interval?
A minor interval is one semitone smaller than the major one with the same number: a minor third is 3 semitones, a major third 4. Major intervals tend to sound brighter, minor ones darker.
Why does a perfect fifth sound so stable?
Its notes' frequencies are in the simple ratio 3:2, so their overtones line up and the two notes blend into one open sound. Only the octave, 2:1, blends more.
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