Fundamentals
Reading Intervals at Sight: Generic and Specific
Naming an interval at sight takes two passes: count the staff positions first, then judge what the accidental does to the size.
Interval
The distance between two pitches, measured by the number of letter names it spans and by the number of semitones.
Also called: musical interval
An interval is the distance between two pitches, played in succession (melodic) or sounded together (harmonic). Each interval has two properties: a generic size, counted as the number of letter names it spans inclusively, such as a third or a fifth, and a quality, such as major, minor or perfect, which fixes the number of semitones. C to E is a major third, which spans four semitones. C to E♭ is a minor third, with three semitones. Intervals up to an octave are simple, and larger ones are compound. Consonance, dissonance and chord construction are all described in intervals.
Related terms
- UnisonAn interval of zero semitones in which two parts sound the same pitch.
- OctaveThe interval of twelve semitones between two notes with the same name, where the upper note vibrates at twice the frequency.
- Interval inversionReversing an interval by moving its lower note up an octave, which turns a third into a sixth and a fifth into a fourth.
- Compound intervalAn interval larger than an octave, such as a tenth or twelfth, made of a simple interval plus one or more octaves.
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Ear Training & Practice
Ear Training for Intervals: A Method You Can Practise Daily
Interval recognition comes faster with a method: three intervals tied to a tonic, sung before they are named, and a short daily routine you can keep.