English

Intervals

Every interval with semitones, steps, inversion, notation, keyboard and a song that opens with it. Plus the counting rule and what major, minor and perfect mean.

An interval is the distance between two notes. It has two measures: the steps give the name (second, third, fourth …), the semitones the size (minor, major, perfect). The third C–E and the third C–E♭ share a name, but one has four semitones and the other three.

  1. 0Unison1 step · inversion: octavethe same note twice
  2. 1Minor second2 steps · inversion: major seventh»Für Elise« or »Joy to the World«, the first two notes (downwards)
  3. 2Major second2 steps · inversion: minor seventh»Frère Jacques« or »Silent Night«, the first two notes
  4. 3Minor third3 steps · inversion: major sixth»Greensleeves«, the first two notes
  5. 4Major third3 steps · inversion: minor sixth»Oh When the Saints«, the first two notes
  6. 5Perfect fourth4 steps · inversion: perfect fifth»Amazing Grace« or »Hark! The Herald Angels Sing«, the first two notes
  7. 6Tritone4 steps · inversion: tritone»Maria« from West Side Story or the Simpsons theme, the first two notes
  8. 7Perfect fifth5 steps · inversion: perfect fourth»Twinkle Twinkle Little Star« or »God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen«, the first two different notes
  9. 8Minor sixth6 steps · inversion: major third»The Entertainer«, in the main theme the leap after the first three notes (E up to C)
  10. 9Major sixth6 steps · inversion: minor third»My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean«, the first two notes
  11. 10Minor seventh7 steps · inversion: major second»Somewhere« from West Side Story, the first two notes
  12. 11Major seventh7 steps · inversion: minor second»Take On Me«, the leap in the chorus
  13. 12Octave8 steps · inversion: unison»Somewhere Over the Rainbow«, the first two notes

How to count

Count both notes: C–E is C, D, E — three steps, so a third. Then count the semitones on the keyboard: C–E is four, C–E♭ is three.

Major, minor, perfect

Unison, fourth, fifth and octave are called perfect: they come in only one size within the scale. Second, third, sixth and seventh come major and minor — the minor one has one semitone less. The tritone is the exception: six semitones, exactly half an octave, written as an augmented fourth or a diminished fifth.

Inversion

Move the lower note up an octave and you get the inversion. The steps of both add up to nine (third and sixth, second and seventh, fourth and fifth), the semitones to twelve. Major becomes minor, perfect stays perfect.

Consonance and dissonance

Unison, fourth, fifth and octave sound at rest (perfect consonances), thirds and sixths at rest with colour (imperfect), seconds, sevenths and the tritone want to move on (dissonances). That is no judgement: music lives on tension resolving.

Ear training: hear intervals and guess them · All terms in the glossary

Anotona does this for you

Photograph a page of sheet music or play the melody — Anotona finds the key, engraves the notes and transposes them into any other. Free.

See Anotona

Every note on this page is computed, not typed in — following the rule that also makes F# major spell its seventh degree E#, not F.