INTERVALS & HARMONY GUIDE

YOUR QUICK GUIDE TO INTERVALS & HARMONY IN MUSIC

INTERVALS & HARMONY INTRODUCTION
Intervals and Harmony are the building blocks
of music. You use them to create melodies,
chords, harmony lines...Basically they are the
core incredients to tell your story with music.

1. Intervals = 2 notes played after each other

2. Harmony = 2 notes played at the same time

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PERFECT UNISON
Perfect Unison is the interval/harmony of the same note, meaning no distance. There is some
debate on whether to even call this an interval in music, but even so, it is a term you need to
remember. My best song example that uses this interval is:

1. William Tell Overture (Rossini)

MINOR 2ND
Minor 2nd is the interval/harmony with the distance of 1 half step (1 semitone). Song Examples
that uses this Interval:

1. Jaws (Movie Theme)

2. Pink Panther (Movie Theme)
3. Für Elise (Beethoven)
MAJOR 2ND
Major 2nd is the interval/harmony with the distance of 2 half steps (2 semitones). Song
Examples that uses this Interval:

1. Happy Birthday to You

2. Silent Night (Christmas Song)
3. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (Christmas Song)
MINOR 3RD
Minor 3rd is the interval/harmony with the distance of 3 half steps (3 semitones). Song
Examples that uses this Interval:

1. Beverly Hills Cop (Movie Theme)

2. Smoke On The Water (Deep Purple)
3. Star Spangled Banner (US national song)
MAJOR 3RD
Major 3rd is the interval/harmony with the distance of 4 half steps (4 semitones). Song
Examples that uses this Interval:

1. Morning has Broken

2. Oh, when the Saints
3. Four Seasons: Spring (Vivaldi)
PERFECT 4TH
Perfect 4th is the interval/harmony with the distance of 5 half steps (5 semitones). Song
Examples that uses this Interval:

1. The Force Theme - Star Wars

2. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart)
3. Amazing Grace
TRITONE
Tritone is the interval/harmony with the distance of 6 half steps (6 semitones). Also called by the
name: Diminished 5th or Augmented 4th. It is on of the most dissonant intervals in music,
meaning a high degree of tension. Song Examples that uses this Interval:

1. Simpsons (Theme Song)

2. Enter Sandman (Metallica)
3. Maria (West side story)
PERFECT 5TH
Perfect 5th is the interval/harmony with the distance of 7 half steps (7 semitones). Song
Examples that uses this Interval:

1. Star Wars (Movie Theme)

2. Can't Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley)
3. Scarborough Fair
MINOR 6TH
Minor 6th is the interval/harmony with the distance of 8 half steps (8 semitones). Song Examples
that uses this Interval:

1. 1492 by Vangelis (Movie Theme)

2. In My Life (Beatles)
3. She’s a Woman (Beatles)
MAJOR 6TH
Major 6th is the interval/harmony with the distance of 9 half steps (9 semitones). Song Examples
that uses this Interval:

1. Princess Leia's Theme - Star Wars (Movie Theme)

2. The Music of the Night (Phantom of the Opera)
3. Man In the Mirror (Michael Jackson)
MINOR 7TH
Minor 7th is the interval/harmony with the distance of 10 half steps (10 semitones). Song
Examples that uses this Interval:

1. Star Trek Theme (Original)

2. The Winner Takes It All (ABBA)
3. Somewhere (West side story)
MAJOR 7TH
Major 7th is the interval/harmony with the distance of 11 half steps (11 semitones). Song
Examples that uses this Interval:

1. Take on Me (A-Ha)
2. Superman (Movie Theme)
3. Norah Jones - Don't Know Why
PERFECT OCTAVE
Perfect is the interval/harmony with the distance of 12 half steps (12 semitones). Meaning the
same note, but an octave apart. Song Examples that uses this Interval:

1. Somewhere over the Rainbow (Wizard of Oz)

2. Let it snow (Christmas Song)
3. Singin' in the Rain
 CONGRATULATIONS!
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