Intervals are the building blocks of music, forming the foundation of melody and harmony. They're crucial for developing musicianship skills and analyzing compositions. Understanding intervals helps musicians create, interpret, and appreciate music more deeply.

Interval recognition involves identifying intervals by sight or sound. This skill is essential for sight-reading, transcription, and improvisation. Developing interval recognition requires practice with visual and aural exercises, using strategies like mnemonic devices and ear training.

Intervals in music

• Intervals form the foundation of melody, harmony, and musical structure
• Understanding intervals is crucial for developing musicianship skills and analyzing musical compositions

Interval definition

• An interval is the distance between two pitches, measured by the number of half steps or semitones
• Intervals can be described by their size (number of half steps) and quality (major, minor, perfect, augmented, or diminished)
• The smallest interval is a half step (semitone), and the largest interval within an octave is a major seventh (11 semitones)

Interval size

• Interval size is determined by counting the number of half steps between two pitches, including both the starting and ending pitches
• Intervals can be classified as simple (within one octave) or compound (spanning more than one octave)
• Simple intervals range from unison (same pitch) to an octave (12 half steps)

Interval quality

• Interval quality refers to the specific type of interval based on the number of half steps and the scale degrees of the pitches involved
• The five main interval qualities are perfect, major, minor, augmented, and diminished
• Quality is determined by comparing the interval to the major scale and its corresponding diatonic intervals

Interval types

• Intervals can be categorized into two main types: melodic and harmonic
• Understanding the difference between these types is essential for analyzing and creating music

Melodic intervals

• Melodic intervals occur when two pitches are played or sung successively, one after the other
• Melodic intervals are used to create melodies and can be ascending (moving from a lower pitch to a higher pitch) or descending (moving from a higher pitch to a lower pitch)
• Examples of melodic intervals include a perfect fifth ascending (C to G) or a major second descending (G to F)

Harmonic intervals

• Harmonic intervals occur when two pitches are played or sung simultaneously, creating harmony
• Harmonic intervals are used to build chords and provide a sense of consonance or dissonance in music
• Examples of harmonic intervals include a major third (C and E played together) or a perfect fifth (C and G played together)

Diatonic intervals

• Diatonic intervals are intervals found within a major or minor scale, without any chromatic alterations
• There are five types of diatonic intervals: perfect, major, minor, augmented, and diminished

Major intervals

• Major intervals are diatonic intervals that occur between the tonic and the second, third, sixth, or seventh scale degrees of a major scale
• The four major intervals are major second (M2), major third (M3), major sixth (M6), and major seventh (M7)
• Examples of major intervals in C major: C to D (M2), C to E (M3), C to A (M6), and C to B (M7)

Minor intervals

• Minor intervals are diatonic intervals that occur between the tonic and the second, third, sixth, or seventh scale degrees of a minor scale
• The three minor intervals are minor second (m2), minor third (m3), and minor sixth (m6)
• Examples of minor intervals in C minor: C to D (m2), C to E♭ (m3), and C to A♭ (m6)

Perfect intervals

• Perfect intervals are diatonic intervals that remain perfect in both major and minor scales
• The four perfect intervals are perfect unison (P1), perfect fourth (P4), perfect fifth (P5), and perfect octave (P8)
• Examples of perfect intervals in C major or C minor: C to C (P1), C to F (P4), C to G (P5), and C to C' (P8)

Augmented intervals

• Augmented intervals are intervals that are one half step larger than their corresponding major or perfect intervals
• The four augmented intervals are augmented second (A2), augmented fourth (A4), augmented fifth (A5), and augmented sixth (A6)
• Examples of augmented intervals: C to D♯ (A2), C to F♯ (A4), C to G♯ (A5), and C to A♯ (A6)

Diminished intervals

• Diminished intervals are intervals that are one half step smaller than their corresponding minor or perfect intervals
• The five diminished intervals are diminished second (d2), diminished third (d3), diminished fourth (d4), diminished fifth (d5), and diminished seventh (d7)
• Examples of diminished intervals: C to D♭♭ (d2), C to E♭♭ (d3), C to F♭ (d4), C to G♭ (d5), and C to B♭♭ (d7)

Interval recognition

• Interval recognition is the ability to identify intervals by sight (visual recognition) or by ear (aural recognition)
• Developing interval recognition skills is essential for sight-reading, transcription, and improvisation

Visual interval recognition

• Visual interval recognition involves identifying intervals by looking at written music notation
• Strategies for visual interval recognition include counting half steps, using reference intervals, and recognizing common interval patterns
• Practice identifying intervals in various clefs, keys, and octave ranges to improve visual recognition skills

Aural interval recognition

• Aural interval recognition involves identifying intervals by listening to pitches played or sung
• Strategies for aural interval recognition include associating intervals with familiar songs, using interval ear training exercises, and focusing on the distinctive sound qualities of each interval
• Practice identifying intervals in both melodic and harmonic contexts to improve aural recognition skills

Strategies for interval recognition

• Use mnemonic devices or songs to associate intervals with familiar melodies (perfect fifth: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")
• Practice interval drills regularly, gradually increasing difficulty and speed
• Analyze intervals in the context of scales, chords, and musical phrases to develop a deeper understanding of their musical functions
• Utilize online resources, such as interval training websites and mobile apps, to supplement your practice

Interval inversion

• Interval inversion is the process of flipping an interval upside down, resulting in a new interval with a complementary size and quality
• Understanding interval inversion is useful for analyzing and transposing music, as well as for understanding the relationships between intervals

Inversion process

• To invert an interval, move the lower pitch up an octave or the higher pitch down an octave
• The resulting inverted interval will have a complementary size, meaning the sum of the original interval and its inversion will always equal nine (octave)
• Examples: inverting a major third (C to E) results in a minor sixth (E to C), inverting a perfect fifth (C to G) results in a perfect fourth (G to C)

Inversion formulas

• Perfect intervals (P1, P4, P5, P8) invert to perfect intervals (P8, P5, P4, P1)
• Major intervals (M2, M3, M6, M7) invert to minor intervals (m7, m6, m3, m2)
• Minor intervals (m2, m3, m6, m7) invert to major intervals (M7, M6, M3, M2)
• Augmented intervals (A2, A4, A5, A6) invert to diminished intervals (d7, d5, d4, d3)
• Diminished intervals (d2, d3, d4, d5, d7) invert to augmented intervals (A7, A6, A5, A4, A2)

Compound intervals

• Compound intervals are intervals that span more than one octave
• Understanding compound intervals is essential for analyzing and performing music with a wide range

Octave displacement

• To create a compound interval, displace one of the pitches by one or more octaves
• The quality of the interval remains the same, but the size increases by 7 for each additional octave
• Examples: a major third (M3) becomes a major tenth (M10) when the upper pitch is displaced by an octave, a perfect fifth (P5) becomes a perfect twelfth (P12) when the lower pitch is displaced by an octave

Compound interval naming

• Compound intervals are named by adding 7 to the simple interval size for each additional octave
• The quality of the compound interval remains the same as the corresponding simple interval
• Compound intervals include ninths (2nd + 7), tenths (3rd + 7), elevenths (4th + 7), twelfths (5th + 7), thirteenths (6th + 7), fourteenths (7th + 7), and so on

Interval use in music

• Intervals play a crucial role in various aspects of music, including melody, harmony, and composition
• Understanding how intervals are used in music helps musicians analyze, interpret, and create musical works

Intervals in melody

• Melodic intervals are used to create memorable and expressive melodies
• Composers often use a combination of small intervals (seconds and thirds) for smooth, stepwise motion and larger intervals (fourths, fifths, and sixths) for leaps and expressive moments
• Analyzing the intervallic structure of a melody can provide insights into its contour, range, and emotional content

Intervals in harmony

• Harmonic intervals are the building blocks of chords and harmonic progressions
• Consonant intervals (perfect intervals and major/minor thirds and sixths) create a sense of stability and resolution in harmony
• Dissonant intervals (seconds, sevenths, and augmented/diminished intervals) create tension and require resolution to consonant intervals
• Understanding the intervallic relationships within chords and between chords is essential for harmonic analysis and composition

Intervals in composition

• Composers use intervals to create unity, variety, and contrast in their musical works
• Recurring intervallic patterns or motifs can provide a sense of cohesion and structure throughout a composition
• Varying intervals and interval qualities can create different moods, textures, and emotional effects in music
• Studying the intervallic techniques used by composers can help musicians develop their own compositional skills and artistic voice

Interval ear training

• Interval ear training is the process of developing the ability to recognize and reproduce intervals by ear
• Regular ear training practice is essential for improving musicianship skills and enhancing musical perception

Interval singing exercises

• Singing intervals is an effective way to internalize their sound and develop vocal control
• Practice singing intervals using solfège syllables, scale-degree numbers, or neutral syllables (e.g., "la")
• Begin with simple intervals (perfect intervals and major/minor thirds) and gradually progress to more challenging intervals (seconds, sevenths, and augmented/diminished intervals)

Interval dictation practice

• Interval dictation involves listening to intervals played on an instrument or sung and notating them accurately
• Start with simple, diatonic intervals and progress to more complex, chromatic intervals
• Practice interval dictation in various musical contexts, such as melodic dictation and harmonic dictation
• Regularly assess your progress and identify areas for improvement

Online interval training resources

• Utilize online interval training websites and mobile apps to supplement your ear training practice
• Websites such as musictheory.net, teoria.com, and tonedear.com offer interactive interval exercises and quizzes
• Mobile apps like Tenuto, Ear Trainer, and Complete Ear Trainer provide convenient, on-the-go interval training
• Incorporate online resources into your daily practice routine to reinforce interval recognition skills and track your progress over time