Understanding Intervals in Music

Understanding intervals in music theory was pretty sweaty for me! Wink! Wink! I was 12 years old then. I will be supporting you with all the info on Music Intervals, Types of Intervals in Music, Intervals in music theory and make the course you’re learning much simpler.

So, this blog helps you find answers for obvious questions like what are Intervals? Are intervals and Intervals in Music Theory Different? What can be the types of intervals in music? What are the easy ways in understanding intervals? And so on.

Let’s get moving on!

I don’t think in terms of intervals. I think in terms of tonal colour. I am trying to play through as many keys as possible – Woody Shaw.

What is Intervals in Music?

Basically, the distance between any 2 notes written on music staff is Intervals in Music Theory.  In other words, the difference in pitch between any sounds or notes in melody, or music in general, make up the intervals. Every piece of music that you listen to is contains various types of Intervals in Music. Furthermore, understanding intervals in music can help you improve your sight reading techniques, Aural training. It is a vital concept when it comes to music composition or while writing music.

Moreover, these intervals in music theory can be seen written or played or sung together, like in a chord or one after the other, typically as in any and all pieces of melodies.

What are the Types of Intervals In Music?

Intervals fall into different categories according to the order or the sequence they are in. They are in Linear, Horizontal, Vertical orders. Using the sounds they produce, we can differentiate intervals. In that way it  can be Harmonic and Melodic.

Some terms to remember:

Semitone: Semitones are the smallest interval in Music. It is the distance between any two closest notes in any chromatic scale. Another name for semitone is Half step.

Tone: In simplest words, two semitones put together equals a tone. Whole Step is the other name given to tone.

Did You Know?

We have Ditones which equals two whole notes or tones. Tritone in music is an interval that spans to 3 tones or whole steps. 

Melodic and Harmonic Intervals In Music

Primarily, intervals can be of two types. Harmonic and Melodic. Based on different requirements and criteria, intervals in music theory can be grouped or categorized based on different requirements and criteria.

Harmonic Intervals In Music

In a Harmonic Interval, notes are played at the same time or simultaneously. A chord is an excellent example of Harmonic Interval or vertical interval. Harmonic intervals in music are in all the harmony written for any piece of music.

Melodic Intervals explained

When notes are played one after the other or in a sequence, it is called Melodic Intervals in Music. Think of a broken chord or just any song. Melodic intervals can be in ascending or descending orders.

While we are here, let’s quickly look into Consonant and Dissonant Intervals.  So, an  interval is consonant if the notes sound peaceful or pleasant. An interval can be Disonanant if the notes sound tense and unpleasant

Introduction to Types of Intervals in Music

Interval numbers

The word number here refers to the letter names of the notes on a musical staff. It stands for the numerical value allotted to a scale’s degrees. As long as the two notes that make up the interval are taken from a diatonic scale, interval numbers can also be found simply counting the degrees of the diatonic scale as opposed to staff positions. 

Here is an image of all the interval numbers to make understanding Intervals straight forward.

Interval Qualities

We have now seen that intervals are classified based on its numbers on a musical staff. Additionally, intervals are further classified on the basis of exact distance on a staff with a prefix added to interval numbers. The process of grouping intervals as Major, Minor, Perfect, Augmented or Diminished is called Interval Qualities.

Perfect Intervals

Perfect intervals in music are one of the essential Types of intervals in music. Here is the deal, only Unison, Fourth, Fifth and Octave are the Perfect intervals in music. In that way, the distance between any note and a Unison, Fourth, Fifth and Octave of the scale is known as Perfect. 

Major and Minor Intervals

Just like Perfect intervals in music we have Major intervals in music. Major intervals are the intervals between the notes of a Major scale. As a rule, the second, third, sixth and seventh intervals can be referred to as major intervals. Basically , Major intervals in music are formed in a diatonic scale. Remember these terms tone and semitone?

Essentially, tones and semitones are the quickest way of finding major intervals. For instance, C-E is a third interval. On a major scale a third interval will have a distance of 2 tones or 4 semitones. Therefore, E is 2 tones or 4 semitones away from C and so it is called a Major Third.

Now let’s discuss minor intervals

Now the easiest way of finding a minor interval is that it is one semitone lower than a major interval. We now know that C-E is a major third because it has two tones or four semitones. Now, let me pull the E a semitone lower to Eb. C-Eb would have three semitone distances and this would be called Minor Third.

Diminished and Augmented Intervals:

Semitone extended to a perfect interval is an Augmented Interval. C-F is a perfect fourth and adding a semitone to it, C-F# becomes an Augmented Fourth or a Diminished fifth with 6 semitones. Tritone is another name given for Augmented fourths as they have 3 tones.

The gap of six half steps between the two intervals, which can be either a diminished fifth or an Augmented fourth. 

So, here is a chart of all the types of interval qualities that you need to know along with Interval names in music, its short forms.

Interval Inversions

In simple words, an interval that has been inverted is one in which the higher or lower note is moved one octave up or down. This way, a new interval is produced when the existing interval is inverted.

Now it is very important that an interval’s total number of degrees plus its inversion always equals nine degrees. For instance in the image above C-G is an interval of Perfect Fifth. The original note C and that inverted here equals nine degrees.

Let us look at the usual inversions of intervals in Music. Generally, Perfect intervals always stay perfect; the quality of an inverted interval is the inverse of the original interval’s quality.

For instance,

• Starting with Unison. Unison when inverted becomes an interval of Octave. 
  
• A perfect fourth inverted turn into perfect fifth;
  
• A second Interval when inverted becomes seventh;
  
• To arrive at Sixth, a Third is inverted.

This is like a formula to help you remember the inversions properly. 

For instance, C-E is an interval of Major third. When the C is inverted an Octave up, the major third becomes a Minor Sixth (E-C).

Closing Thoughts!

Intervals in Music Theory happen to hold an important place while writing music. This is not a very complex concept. But like I always say, progressive learning requires guidance. MUSICMASTER.IN will always be happy to guide you in the right path. Book a free demo Now! Happy Learning!