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3 4 2+Understanding+Intervals

The document discusses intervals, which are the relationships between two notes based on their pitch distance. Intervals can be analyzed based on their number and quality, and whether the notes are played vertically as chords or horizontally in sequence. There are five main interval qualities - major, minor, perfect, diminished, and augmented. Common interval sizes within an octave range from unisons to octaves. Intervals are identified by counting line and space positions of the notes on the musical staff.

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Chenpeng Wei
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53 views

3 4 2+Understanding+Intervals

The document discusses intervals, which are the relationships between two notes based on their pitch distance. Intervals can be analyzed based on their number and quality, and whether the notes are played vertically as chords or horizontally in sequence. There are five main interval qualities - major, minor, perfect, diminished, and augmented. Common interval sizes within an octave range from unisons to octaves. Intervals are identified by counting line and space positions of the notes on the musical staff.

Uploaded by

Chenpeng Wei
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Understanding Intervals
An Interval is basically the relationship between 2 notes, measured by the distance from the
lowest pitch to the highest pitch. A Chord is the combination of 3 or more notes played
together.

Intervals are determined by their number and color quality, which can be analyzed in two
ways. By either the 2 notes being played together vertically, which is called a Harmonic
Interval, or by the 2 notes being played one after the other in a horizontal order, which are
called Melodic Intervals.

Here are the 5 different quality types of Intervals found in western harmony:

• Major (Maj)

• Minor (Min)

• Perfect (P)

• Diminished (Dim)

• Augmented (Aug)

There are 7 different notes within a standard scale and 8 if you count Root to Root. There are
8 different interval sizes to recognize and analyze within an octave. By an interval size, I'm
talking about a 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc.

On a staff, the combined number of lines and spaces, including both notes, determines the
intervals.
 

You can analyze these note interval relationships in 2 ways.

They are:

• Counting the degrees between the notes in question. (C to E: you count the first note C,
then count up D and E, which gives us an Interval of a 3rd of some quality)

• Counting from the space or line on the staff where the note lies, up to the space or
line from where the 2nd note lies.

Here are 2 examples of Intervals to demonstrate the analysis of the relationship.

Example 1

The Note C lies on the 2nd space up from the bottom of the staff. There is a line above that
where the note D would lay then the note E lies in the next space up.

The Interval number value is counted from the C in the space, the line above, and finally the
space where the E Lies. This tells the value of this interval is a 3rd of some kind.

Example 2

The note B lies on the 2nd line up from the bottom of the staff. There is a space above that
where the note C would lay, followed by a line in which the note D would lay, followed by a
space in which the E lies.
 

The Interval number value is counted from the B on the line, the space above, the line above
that, and finally the space where the E lies. This tells the value of this interval is a 4th of some
kind.

Visually there is a pattern that Intervals follow, which after experience and practice becomes
a valuable aide in sight-reading. All intervals that both are placed in the spaces and on the
lines of the staff have an odd numbered value.

All the intervals that appear on both a line and a space on the staff, or a space and a line on a
staff, have an even numbered value.

Example 3

Here is an example of odd numbered interval values.

Example 4

Here is an example of even numbered interval values.

The different sizes and commonly used qualities for intervals found within an octave are as
follows:

• Unison (the same pitch)


• 2nd (can be Major or Minor)
• 3rd (can be Major or Minor)
• 4th (can be Perfect, Diminished or Augmented)
 

• 5th (can Perfect, Diminished or Augmented)


• 6th (can be Major or Minor)
• 7th (can be Major, Minor or Diminished)
• Octave (the same pitch up an octave)

Once we understand the size of an interval, we combine that information along with the
quality. For example, a Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect 4th, Diminished 5th etc.

There are 3 types of intervals I will be discussing here, they are.

• Diatonic Intervals
• Non-Diatonic Intervals (Chromatic Intervals)
• Compound Intervals.

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