CH 3- Intervals

Intervals

  • An interval is the measure of distance between two pitches

  • You must count each given letter plus any given letters that occur between two pitches

  • Octave is abbreviated to 8ve or 8va

  • Even numbered intervals always consist of one line and one space note

  • Odd numbered intervals consist of two line or two space notes

  • Always determine lowest note of pair, then count up to higher note when naming interval

  • Intervals that are side by side are considered melodic; intervals stacked on top of each other are considered harmonic

Intervals of the Major Scale

  • The quality of an intervals references if the interval is major, minor, perfect, diminished, or augmented

  • “Major” describes the size of an interval from fist note of major scale to other certain notes of the scale

  • Seconds, thirds, sixths, and sevenths can be major

  • “Perfect” Intervals describe interval size from first note of major scale to fourth, fifth, or eighth

    • Neutral sounds; neither pleasant or unpleasant

    • Have open/ empty quality because frequencies are exact mathematical ratios

  • Thirds and sixths are pleasant, sounding at rest

  • Seconds and sevenths are harsh and full of tension

  • Mnor Intervals

  • Minor intervals are major intervals made smaller by a half step

  • When an interval is made smaller, the two notes move closer together

    • Accomplished in one of two ways:

      • Moving the bottom note up a half step

      • Moving top note down a half step

  • Numeric designation of interval is size

    • Other is quality (major/ minor/ perfect)

Altering Perfect Intervals

  • Diminished- “Made smaller”; making an interval smaller

    • When lower note is raised or top note is lowered of a perfect interval

  • Augmented- “Made Larger”; Making interval larger

    • Top note is raised and bottom note is lowered

Altering Major and Minor Intervals

  • When minor intervals are lowered by a half step, they become diminished

  • When major intervals are made larger by a half step, they become augmented

  • The tritone is composed of three (Tri) whole steps (tones)

    • Found in major scales from fa to ti and from ti to fa

***All intervals can take names diminished or augmented; not all can take major, minor, or perfect

  • Major/ Minor: Seconds, thirds. sixths, and sevenths

  • Perfect: Unisons, fourths, fifths, and octaves

  • Major, minor, perfect. diminished, and augmented refer to quality of the interval

Inversion of Intervals

  • Switching the order of any two musical pitches creates an interval inversion

    • Turning the notes upside down

  • To be effective, you must always use pairs of notes that have exact same two pitch class

  • Perfect intervals cant become anything other than perfect

Inversions for all Interval sizes:

Unison=8ve

2nd= 7th

3rd = 6th

4th = 5th

5th = 4th

6th= 3rd

7th= 2nd

8ve=unison

Inversions for all interval qualities

Perfect=perfect

major = minor

minor = major

diminished = augmented

augmented = diminished

Creating Descending Intervals

  • To create descending intervals, think of its interval inversoin and then reverse the direction

  • When descending intervals of major scale are written, instead of forming major and perfect intervals, they form minor and perfect intervals

Compound Intervals

  • Compound intervals are larger than an octave

  • Add seven to the interval number of a simple interval to find compound equivalent