Interval
When you play two notes either simultaneously or in succession, you"re playing an interval. Intervals are classified according to their dimension and their top quality. Size is the measure of just how far apart the 2 notes are. Quality is an adjective that additionally explains the dimension. For instance, a fifty percent action is referred to as a minor second and also a totality step is dubbed a major second. The dimension is a 2nd. The high quality is significant or minor.
Harmonic Intervals and Melodic Intervals
Intervals deserve to appear in harmonic or melodic develop. In harmonic create, the 2 notes are played simultaneously. In melodic create, the two notes notes are played in succession. Melodic intervals have the right to be either ascfinishing or descending.
You are watching: To increase the numeric size of this interval, you would add a:
Harmonic Interval | ![]() Unable to play MP3 ![]() Unable to play MP3 Melodic Interval Descending ![]() Unable to play MP3 |
Interval Size
Size is established by counting the variety of lines and spaces (or alphabet letters) extending the 2 notes, including the beginning and finish. For example, the size of the interval from C up to E is a third (CDE spans three letters, or 3 lines and also spaces), D up to A is a fifth (DEFGA spans five lines and spaces), and also E up to C is a sixth (EFGABC spans six alphabet letters), and so on. Size Notation | Number of Lines and Spaces or Alphabet Letters Acomponent Counting Both the Beginning and also End. | |
Unison ![]() 1 | Unable to play MP3 | |
Second ![]() 2 | Unable to play MP3 | |
Third 3 | Unable to play MP3 | |
Fourth 4 | Unable to play MP3 | |
Fifth 5 | Unable to play MP3 | |
Sixth 6 | Unable to play MP3 | |
Seventh 7 | Unable to play MP3 | |
Octave 8 | Unable to play MP3 | |
Ninth 9 | Unable to play MP3 | |
Tenth 10 | Unable to play MP3 |
What is the dimension of the interval from C to E?
Answer
It relies on whether it"s an ascending interval or a descending interval. The interval C up to E is a 3rd, yet the interval C down to E is a sixth.
Notes Notation Size C as much as E Third C down to E Sixth |
When calculating interval sizes, accidentals are ignored. The intervals C-E and C-Eb are both thirds. They sound various bereason they contain a various number of fifty percent actions. The 3rd from C-E includes 4 fifty percent steps. The 3rd from C-Eb consists of 3 fifty percent steps. The larger 3rd is referred to as the significant third, the smaller sized 3rd is referred to as the minor third.
Name Half Steps Notation Sound Minor Third 3 Unable to play MP3 |
Interval Quality
Quality is used to differentiate intervals of the exact same dimension but through various numbers of half actions. The terms provided for top quality are: Major Minor Perfect Diminished AugmentedInterval Category
Intervals are classified as perfect or imperfect. Unisons, fourths, fifths, and also octaves are termed perfect intervals. Seconds, thirds, sixths, and sevenths are termed imperfect intervals.
Class | Intervals |
Perfect | Unison, 4th, 5th, Octave |
Imperfect | Seconds, Thirds, Sixths, Sevenths |
Perfect Intervals
Perfect intervals are the unichild, fourth, fifth, and octave. They happen naturally in the significant scale between scale note 1 and also scale notes 1, 4, 5, and also 8.
Name Notation in G Major Notes in G Major Scale Perfect Unison 1 - 1 Perfect Fourth 1 - 4 Perfect Fifth 1 - 5 Perfect Octave 1 - 8 |
Imperfect Intervals
Imperfect intervals are the seconds, thirds, sixths, and sevenths. They come in two develops, Major and also Minor.
Major Intervals
Major secs, thirds, sixths, and also sevenths take place naturally in the ascending major range between range note 1 and also scale notes 2, 3, 6, and also 7.
Name Notation in F Major Scale Notes in F Major Major Second 1 - 2 Major Third 1 - 3 Major Sixth 1 - 6 Major Seventh 1 - 7 |
Minor Intervals
Minor secs, thirds, sixths, and also sevenths happen normally in the descfinishing major scale between scale note 8 and scale notes 7, 6, 3, and 2.
Name Notation in F Major Scale Notes in F Major Minor Second 8 - 7 Minor Third 8 - 6 Minor Sixth 8 - 3 Minor Seventh 8 - 2 |
Perfect intervals are never major or minor. Likewise, significant and minor intervals are never before perfect.
Consonance - Dissonance
Intervals have the right to additionally be classified as Consonant and also Dissonant.
Perfect Major Minor | ||
Consonant | P1, P4, P5, P8 m3, M3, M6 m3, m6 | |
Dissonant | M2, M7 m2, m7 |
Altered Intervals
If you expand or contract an interval by a half action you change its high quality. The size may continue to be the same. The resulting high quality depends on whether you transform a perfect interval or an imperfect (major or minor) interval.
Altered Perfect
When you transform a perfect interval by a half action it becomes either diminiburned or augmented. When a perfect interval is made one fifty percent step larger it becomes augmented. When a perfect interval is made one fifty percent step smaller sized it becomes diminimelted.

You deserve to expand also or contract the interval from either the peak or bottom note.

Altered Imperfect
When you alter an imperfect interval by a fifty percent action it becomes either diminiburned, minor, significant, or augmented as shown in the following diagram.

When a major interval is made one half step larger it becomes augmented. When a significant interval is made one half action smaller it becomes minor. When a minor interval is made one fifty percent action larger it becomes major. When a minor interval is made one half action smaller it becomes diminiburned.

Altered Diminiburned / Augmented
An augmented interval made one fifty percent step larger becomes doubly augmented. A diminished interval made one half step smaller becomes doubly diminished.

Tritone
A tritone gets its name bereason it consists of three entirety procedures WWW. The intervals of a diminimelted fifth and an augmented fourth are both tritones because they both contain six fifty percent actions.

Interval Naming Conventions
A prevalent naming convention for intervals supplies a mix of numbers and also reduced and upper case letters.
Upper CasePerfect, Major, Augmented
Lower Caseminor, diminished
Sizenumbers 1 to 13
AbbreviationsP, M, m, d, and also A (note case)
InstancesP1, m2, M2, d3, m3, M3, A3, P4, A4, d5, P5, m6, M6, m7, M7, P8
Identifying Intervals
To totally recognize an interval you need to know both its high quality and also size.
Valid attributes are: Perfect Major Minor Diminimelted Augmented Doubly Diminimelted Doubly Augmented Valid sizes are: unikid second 3rd fourth fifth sixth seventh octave nine tenth eleventh twelfth thirteenthThere are 2 techniques you deserve to use to recognize intervals, the basic way and the difficult way. If you recognize your Major scales, the simple means is really simple.
The Easy method - Identify intervals by their relation to note 1 of the significant scaleIn a significant range all ascending intervals are either perfect or significant as soon as compared with the initially note of the range.
Step 1. Construct the major scale that starts on the reduced note of the interval.
Tip 2. Determine if the upper note of the interval occurs naturally in that significant scale. If it does, then unisons, 4ths, 5ths and 8ves are perfect, and 2nds, 3rds, 6ths, and 7ths are major.

Step 3. If the top note of the interval does not belengthy to that significant scale, recognize how it differs from the interval of the very same size that does happen in the major range. Based on the fifty percent step difference from major range interval, recognize the high quality according to this diagram.

1. Find the interval dimension by counting the lines and also spaces in between the two notes (consisting of both notes).
2. Count the fifty percent procedures contained in the interval, then usage the table of intervals and also then use the table of interval sizes to recognize the top quality.
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Note: The Table of Intervals presented listed below lists only the most widespread names for an interval. Intervals that have the same number of half measures have the right to have actually various names. For instance an augmented fourth and also a diminiburned fifth both have six fifty percent steps.