Naming intervals

As well as the distance from the tonic we need to look at the distance between other notes as well.

Before You Start

We use similar naming conventions for note names and interval names so if you've nailed the individual note names and functions this will be a breeze.

The lesson

A notes by itself, just hanging there, might sound great, but is it music yet? Play another note with it, either straight after or at the same time, and we have tension or movement. In music theory we talk a lot about intervals which are simply the distance between two notes,

We've already looked at two types of intervals, the tone (2 frets) and the semi tone (1 fret). To name the rest we come back to our old friend the major scale. The distance from the tonic to the second note in the major scale is a tone but we also call it a major second. We then call the distance from the one to the 3 a major third, the one to the 4 a perfect fourth etc.

In the lesson on Note Function we named all twelve notes and gave each of them a function. The intervals have exactly the same names, the distance from the one to the flat 5 (6 frets) is called a flat 5 (also called a diminished 5th). What about the distance from the two to the minor 6? Because it's the same distance (still 6 frets) it has the same name, it's still a diminished 5th. The distance from the major 3rd to the perfect 5th is 3 frets so we call it a minor third.

Another table...

Be careful not to be confused with interval names and chord names. Not that the b7 is called the minor 7th because it is a semitone lower than the 7th note, not because it's in a minor 7th chord. The b7 is also in a regular 7th chord. The major 2nd is present in most minor scales.

Take Home

An interval is simply the distance between two notes. More than one interval and you have a chord or melody.