MUSIC INTERVALS

• Interval in music is a distance from one note to another.

Intervals have a number and a prefix.

• The number represents the number of the different notes an interval

contains.

E.g. The interval from C to E contains 3 notes (C, D, E) therefore it’s called a
3rd.

• The prefix represents the quality of the interval depending on the number
of semitones it contains.

• Intervals can be Diminished-Minor-Major-Augmented or Diminished-

Perfect-Augmented. Every prefix is one semitone bigger to the previous
one.

• All intervals in a major scale starting on the Tonic (1st note of the scale) are
major apart from the 4th, 5th and 8ve which are perfect

C MAJOR SCALE

2ndM 3rdM 4thP 5thP 6thM 7thM 8veP

(C-D) (C-E) (C-F) (C-G) (C-A) (C-B) (C-C)

• In order to identify an interval first count how many notes it contains.

Then check if that interval could belong to the major key of the lower
note.

E.g the interval D-A contains 5 notes (D, E, F, G, A) so it is an interval

5th. The A note belongs to D major scale (the key signature is F#, C#)
therefore the D-A interval is a 5th Perfect.

• If an interval does not belong to the major key of the lower note, then
count how many more, or less semitones the interval has.

E.g. the interval D-Ab cannot be a 5th Perfect since Ab does not
belong to D major scale. D-Ab interval is one semitone smaller than
the above mentioned Perfect 5th (D-A) therefore it’s a Diminished.