Topic outline

  • Welcome!

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    With this course you can practise:

    • Major and minor intervals 1-8
    • Perfect intervals
    • Some diminished and augmented intervals


    Recommended to study before this course:

    • Intervals 2

  • Interval qualities

    The name of any interval is qualified using the terms perfect (P), major (M), minor (m), augmented (A), and diminished (d). This is called its interval quality. (Wikipedia)

    2 3 6 7

    1 4 5 8

      augmented 

      augmented 

    MAJOR

    PERFECT

    MINOR

    diminished

    diminished


    Intervals can be classified into two groups:

    • 2, 3, 6, 7 are usually major or minor (sometimes also diminished or augmented)
    • 1, 4, 5, 8 are usually perfect (sometimes also diminished or augmented)

  • Diatonic 2, 3, 6, 7

    The quality of seconds, thirds, sixths and sevenths is major or minor.

    Seconds

    Thirds




    Sixths and sevenths

    If interval includes one minor second, it's major sixth/seventh.. If it includes two minor seconds, it's minor sixth/seventh.



    Sixth compared to fifth:

    • Major sixth is fifth + M2 (major scale, C-A)
    • Minor sixth is fifth +m2 (minor scale, C-Ab)

    Seventh compared to octave:

    • Major seventh is m2 less than octave
    • Minor seventh is M2 less than octave

  • Listen: major and minor intervals

    When the interval is heard disconnected from the musical context, it can be interpreted in many different ways. Often the melodies of familiar songs are used to identify intervals.  It is recommended that you try to use several different methods for recognition.

  • 2, 3, 6, 7 and accidentals

    The quality of an interval is also influenced by accidentals. The major can become minor and vice versa.

  • Diatonic 1, 4, 5, 8

    All diatonic primes and octaves are perfect.

    Almost all diatonic fourth and fifth are perfect. They include major seconds and one minor second.

    Exceptions: F-B and B-F

     F-B is augmented 4th (includes only major seconds). It's called tritonus.


    B-F is diminished 5th (includes 2 minor seconds).


  • Listen: perfect intervals and tritonus

  • 1, 4, 5, 8 and accidentals

    Perfect, diminished, augmented

    • If the upper note of a perfect interval is lowered or the lower note is raised it becomes diminished
    • If the upper note of a perfect interval is raised or the lower note is lowered it becomes augmented