What does intervals mean in music

Each of them can be diminished one chromatic tone smaller or augmented one chromatic tone larger. The rest of the intervals within an octave are: second, third, sixth and seventh.

Each of them can be major or minor. Below is an example of a perfect fifth, diminished fifth and augmented fifth and a major and minor third. EarMaster includes hundreds of exercises that will help you identify, transcribe and play or sing intervals by ear. As soon as you master Interval Identification, Interval Comparison and Interval Singing, you will be able to move on to more comprehensive tasks such as Chord Identification, Scale Identification, melodic dictation or Melody singback.

A very useful tip for beginners who may find it hard to get acquainted with the different intervals is to use well-known songs and melodies as references. You will find a beautiful and comprehensive list of famous songs and melodies that will help you memorize intervals more easily at www. For the sake of highlighting the relationship between corresponding compound and simple intervals, we often refer to large intervals as though the two pitches were an octave or less apart.

The intervals in Example 11—5 are, in turn, an octave, a ninth or compound second , tenth or compound third , and eleventh or compound fourth.

Several intervals have been put in boxes in the score below. Identify each interval as either simple or compound:. All of the intervals in the example above are sixths, even though they sound very different. The presence of the accidentals does not change the fact that each of these intervals spans six staff positions. As Example 11—6 makes clear, interval size is directly related to the spelling of the individual pitches. There is always, however, more than one enharmonically equivalent way to spell a pitch.

Since intervals are made of pitches, it follows that there are multiple ways of enharmonically spelling an interval.

If the A bb in Example 11—6 were spelled as G and if the C x were spelled as D, the interval would still sound exactly the same. Written this way, though, it would be considered a fourth instead of a sixth:. Enharmonic equivalence allows for some counter-intuitive scenarios. In the following example, the interval shown between the two staves is a unison, since both voices are on middle C. If one of these voices were changed to C , the interval would still be a type of unison, even though there are two distinct pitches:.

Both of these intervals have the same size; they are both thirds. Despite the similarity in notation, they sound quite different. We address such difference by identifying the quality of an interval. Interval size is a generic classification; multiple different intervals can have the same size. The four intervals in Example 11—6 were all of the same size, but had different qualities.

Combining interval size with interval quality allows us to specify the exact distance between—and spelling of—two notes. In terms of naming intervals, quality is related—though not entirely tied—to how blended or stable the two pitches sound together. Pitches that sound stable and harmonious together are said to be consonant. An octave is an example of a consonant interval. The two pitches in an octave blend together so well, in fact, that it can be difficult for some listeners to distinguish them.

On the other hand, intervals that sound unstable and agitated—as though the pitches are rubbing against one another—are said to be dissonant. A semitone is an example of a dissonant interval. The following example presents three dissonant intervals followed by three consonant intervals above middle C:.

Most listeners will hear the first three intervals as dissonant and the next three as consonant. Consonance and dissonance, however, are relative terms. An interval might sound consonant in comparison to one interval but dissonant in comparison to another.

What one listener hears as dissonant, another might hear as consonant and vice versa. Note: As you can see, the terms consonant and dissonant are difficult to pin down. The way a listener hears a musical sound is subjective and very much tied to cultural preference and prior listening experience.

It should come as no surprise, then, that throughout history music theorists have disagreed when classifying intervals into categories based on these criteria. Based loosely on a scale of consonance and dissonance, there are two broad categories for different sizes of intervals: perfect intervals and imperfect intervals. Perfect intervals tend to sound more consonant. Unisons, fourths, fifths, and octaves along with the corresponding compound intervals are perfect intervals.

All of the remaining interval sizes tend to sound less consonant. Seconds, thirds, sixths, and sevenths along with the corresponding compound intervals are imperfect intervals.

The following table summarizes:. Several intervals are surrounded by boxes in the score below. Identify each interval as either perfect or imperfect:. The perfect intervals are unisons, fourths, fifths, octaves, and the corresponding compound intervals.

Within the imperfect category, intervals tend to be one of two qualities: major or minor. A minor interval is a semitone smaller than the corresponding major interval.

Recall the two thirds from Example 11— The first of these thirds is a major third. Minor intervals are often said to sound somewhat darker or more somber than the corresponding major intervals which are often said to sound brighter and more cheerful.

Listen again to the two thirds in the example above and think about how you would describe the difference in quality. Keep in mind, though, that the current discussion is somewhat abstract. In other words, minor intervals can sound cheerful and major intervals somber under certain circumstances. Within the perfect category, intervals tend to be perfect in quality. Here, the quality name matches the category name. The following example presents three perfect intervals above middle C:.

Each of these intervals is perfect in quality. Perfect intervals are often described as sounding bold, stately, or serious.

More importantly, they sound stable. As with determining interval size, it is very helpful to think of a major scale when determining interval quality. All of the intervals formed by scale degrees above the keynote are either major or perfect in quality. Try identifying their size and quality:. Example 5. Two intervals. For the first interval: the notes are F and C in treble clef.

Here is the process in more detail:. To review, there are five possible interval qualities, of which we have covered major, minor, and perfect:. Augmented intervals are one half-step larger than a perfect or major interval. Example 6 shows this:. Example 6. Two augmented intervals. As you can see in the first measure of Example 6 , the notes F and C form a perfect fifth because C is in the key of F major. In the second measure of Example 6 , a major sixth is shown with the notes G and E because E is in the key of G major.

Note that it is not always the top note that is altered. Example 7 shows two augmented intervals in which the bottom notes have been altered:. Example 7. Two more augmented intervals. In the first measure of Example 7 , F and C again form a perfect fifth.

In the second measure of Example 7 , G and E once again form a major sixth. Diminished intervals are one half-step smaller than a perfect or minor interval. Example 8 shows this:. Example 8. Diminished Intervals. In the first measure of Example 8 , the perfect fifth F and C has been made a half-step smaller, since the top note has been lowered by a half-step. In the second measure of Example 8 , G and E form a major sixth which becomes a minor sixth when the top note is lowered by a half-step making the entire interval one half-step smaller.

It is very important to note that major intervals do not become diminished intervals directly; a major interval becomes minor when contracted by a half-step. It is only a minor interval that becomes diminished when further contracted by a half-step.

Again, it is not always the top note that is altered. Example 9 shows two diminished intervals in which the bottom notes have been altered:. Example 9. Diminished intervals with the bottom notes altered. In the first measure of Example 9 , F to C form a perfect fifth.

In the second measure of Example 9 , G to E form a major sixth. Examples 10 and 11 again demonstrate and summarize the relative size of intervals. Each bracket in these examples is one half-step larger or smaller than the brackets to their right and left. Example 10 shows intervals with the top note altered by accidentals:.

Example Relative size of intervals with top note altered. As you can see in Example 10 , intervals one half-step larger than perfect intervals are augmented, while intervals one half-step smaller than perfect intervals are diminished. Likewise, in Example 10 , intervals one half-step larger than major intervals are augmented, while intervals one half-step smaller than major are minor and intervals one half-step smaller than minor are diminished.

Example 11 shows intervals with the bottom note altered by accidentals:. As well as categorising intervals into their interval numbers: 2nds 3rds 6ths etc, and by the interval quality: major minor perfect etc, we can also categorise intervals into two other groups:. These types of intervals are not to be confused with harmonic and melodic minor scales, those are totally different but we use the same words.

Harmonic intervals are how we describe two notes that are played, at the same time. They are played in harmony and so are a harmonic interval. The opposite of a harmonic interval is a melodic interval which is where the two notes are played one after the other. They are part of a melody and so are a melodic interval.

Last updated 7th September Table of Contents. A simple interval. A compound interval.