Understanding Scales and Changes in Gmail

kitty at the piano

 It's been awhile since I've sent out my monthly newsletter. I was just getting around to doing that when I received a notice and learned about changes in Gmail. Have you heard about it? I thought I'd share some tips with you here on my blog and I'll also send it out later on in my newsletter as well.

If you use Gmail, you may have noticed that they have set up automated filters and is sorting your email into them.

These changes will happen automatically (without your permission), and will most likely mis-filter your emails, including my emails to you. That means that you won't see any email from me in your main inbox UNLESS you adjust your Gmail settings!

Here is a  short video tutorial to show you a two-second fix that will enable you to make sure my future emails (AND other content you've subscribed to) will go to your primary inbox.

If you'd rather follow written instructions instead, here they are. 

Do this now (it takes 2 minutes): 

1. Open your Gmail and notice the new "tabbing" setup. 
2. Click the "Promotions" tab. 
3. Look for any emails from me and/or other newsletters you subscribe to. If you see one, drag it to the "Primary" folder. 
4. A question will pop up asking if you want this done automatically in the future. Click YES. 

If you want to completely remove this new filtering system so everything comes into your inbox the way it did before, do this:

1. Go to the Settings box in the upper right hand corner of your inbox and choose "Settings." 
2. Click on the "Inbox" tab, then unselect all categories except "Primary." 


Major Scales

 If you get how to do all that... then by now, you probably understand how important major scales are. If you do not know them, you can take a look at these.

C Major
C  D  E  F G  A  B  C
1   2  3  4  5  6   7  8

D Major
D  E  F#  G  A  B  C#  D

E Major
E  F#  G#  A  B  C#  D#  E

F Major
F  G  A  Bb  C  D  E  F

G Major
G  A  B  C  D  E  F#  G

A Major
A  B  C#  D  E  F#  G#  A

B Major
B  C#  D#  E  F#  G#  A#  B

Db Major
Db  Eb  F  Gb  Ab  Bb  C  Db

Eb Major
Eb  F  G  Ab  Bb  C  Db

Gb Major
Gb  Ab  Bb  Cb  Db  Eb  F  Gb

Ab Major
Ab  Bb  C  Db  Eb  F  G  Ab

Bb Major
Bb  C  D  Eb  F  G  A  Bb

* The numbers beneath the scale letter names indicate the tone number or scale degree for each note of the major scale. Each major key has a "1-tone"... a "2"... a "3" and so on. What you want to improve upon is recognizing when melodies and chords are moving from one scale degree (one chord of the scale) to another.

Here are additional posts regarding scales. Hope they help!

1. Altered Pentatonic Scales and Patterns
2. Four Tips on Playing Scales
3. Friday Freebie: Piano Scales

Improve Your Piano Playing
Access Free Piano Tutorials Here

Best,









"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

How to Play Testify to Love

a fairy kissing the frog prince


I was doing a search for one of my favorite songs that I like to sing and play on the worship team, Testify to Love. I know, the above photo is charming... don't you think? But did you know who wrote the song? Well, here is what I found out.

"Janna Long of Avalon said on the liner notes of Wow #1 Hits of the group's trademark song: "'Testify To Love' is one of those songs an artist hopes to find on every project, but rarely, does. I remember the moment like it was yesterday when I heard the song in a meeting with Avalon back in 1997. We liked it but I don't think any of us had an idea of how it would go on to touch people the way it has. The message of 'Testify' is one every Christian can relate to. Being a witness for Jesus Christ in every part of our lives is a challenge for all and one that requires action on our part. Sometimes that is being very vocal about our faith and other times, it is simply demonstrating Christ in the small, silent ways, day in and day out." -- from songfacts.


Chord Chart


VERSE 1
D                     A        Bm                    G
All the colors of the rainbow, all the voices of the wind,
D                        A                 Bm                     G
Every dream that reaches out, that reaches out to find where love began,
G                   A      Bm                  G
Every word of every story, every star in every sky,
Em    D         G         A        D
Every corner of creation, lives to testify.

CHORUS
D                      A                       Bm
For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love,
Bm                       G                            D
I'll be a witness to the silences, when words are not enough,
D                       A                               Bm
And with every breath I take, I will give thanks to god above,
Bm             A       G                       D
For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love.

VERSE 2
D                         A        Bm                     G
From the mountains to the valleys, from the rivers to the sea,
D                       A          Bm                             G
Every Hand that reaches out, every hand that reaches out to offer peace,
G                   A      Bm             A        G
Every simple act of mercy, every step the kingdom come,
Em    D             G           A                   D
Every hope in every heart will, speak what love has done.

CHORUS

CHORUS (key change)
E                      B                       C#m
For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love,
C#m                      A                            E
I'll be a witness to the silences, when words are not enough,
E                       B                               C#m
And with every breath I take, I will give thanks to god above,
C#m            B       A                       E
For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love.




Song on YouTube





New Chart



I remember playing this cool song a very long time ago with Beth in Jeff's band. Here's what we played.

Intro: C/// am F C/E Gsus Am F


VERSE 1
C/E                     Gsus-G        Am              F
All the colors of the rainbow, all the voices of the wind,
C/E                     Gsus-G     Am                            F
Every dream that reaches out, that reaches out to find where love begins,
F              Am Gsus-G    Am            G    F
Every word of every story, every star in every sky,
Dm7    C/E        F        Gsus     G F C
Every corner of creation, lives to testify.

CHORUS
C                      G                      Am
For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love,
                           F              G           C
I'll be a witness to the silences, when words are not enough,
                       G                               Am
And with every breath I take, I will give thanks to god above,
                       F                       C
For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love.

VERSE 2
C/E                        Gsus-G        Am                F
From the mountains to the valleys, from the rivers to the sea,
C/E                      Gsus-G      Am                            F
Every Hand that reaches out, every hand that reaches out to offer peace,
F            Am Gsus-G      Am             G        F
Every simple act of mercy, every step the kingdom come,
Dm7    C/E           F           Gsus       G         F  C
Every hope in every heart will, speak what love has done.

CHORUS

C                   Eb   Bb/D
Testify   testify
AbM7                Gm7  Bb
Testify   testify
C7                  Eb
Testify   testify

Online Chord Chart


Verse 1
E                     B        C#m                    A
All the colors of the rainbow, all the voices of the wind,
E                        B                 C#m                     A
Every dream that reaches out, that reaches out to find where love began,
                    B      C#m                  A
Every word of every story, every star in every sky,
F#m    E         A         B        E
Every corner of creation, lives to testify.

Chorus
E                      B                       C#m
For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love,
C#m                       A                            E
I'll be a witness to the silences, when words are not enough,
E                       B                               C#m
And with every breath I take, I will give thanks to god above,
               A       B                       E
For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love.
[ Tab from: http://www.guitaretab.com/a/avalon/672.html ]
Verse 2
E                         B        C#m                     A
From the mountains to the valleys, from the rivers to the sea,
E                       B          C#m                             A
Every hand that reaches out, every hand that reaches out to offer peace,
                    B      C#m                      A
Every simple act of mercy, every step the kingdom come,
F#m    E             A           B                   E
Every hope in every heart will, speak what love has done.

Chorus

Bridge:
Colors of the rainbow 
Voices of the wind 
Dream that reaches out 
Where love Begins 
Word of every story 
Star of every sky 
Corner of creation 
Testify 

Chorus (key change)* or capo 2 and play as per above
F#                      C#                       D#m
For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love,
                        B                            F#
I'll be a witness to the silences, when words are not enough,
F#                       C#                               D#m
And with every breath I take, I will give thanks to god above,
D#m                    B            C#           F#
For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love.

Chorus X2(key changes back)


Hope you like it!



Double Take: Faith: A Hymns Collection & Testify to Love
Testify To Love (Originally Performed by Avalon) [Backing Track and Demo] - Single


Thanks for reading!







"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

W Songs for Worship


Fret Saw Letter W

Summer is here and the temperatures are rising in SoCal. I decided to go through my worship charts and remove the duplicates. I'm sure I will find a home for the extras amongst my students. Here are some posts you may have missed, including more "W" songs. Remember to use the 'search box' to find some of your favorite worship songs. If you can't find what you're looking for, email me and I'll see if I have the charts or can locate them. Hope you're enjoying your summer!

When I Look Into Your Holiness

how-to-play-when-i-look-into-your-holiness

We Fall Down


We Will Worship The Lamb Of Glory


We Bring The Sacrifice of Praise


D                     Em7          F#m7  Bm7
We bring the sacrifice of praise

                G              D/F#    Em7  Em7/A
Into the house of the Lord

D                    Em7           F#m7  Bm7
We bring the sacrifice of praise

                G   Em7   A     D
Into the house of    the Lord

              G             F#m7   Bm7
And we offer up to You

            Em7     A9        D         Em7   D/F#
The sacrifi   -   ces of thanks  -  gi  -  ving

D           G            F#m7   Bm7
And we offer up to You

           Em7        A9     D
The sacrifi   -   ces of joy

We Want To See Jesus Lifted High


G                        D               Em
We want to see Jesus lifted high

                       C       D                 G
A banner that flies across this land

                               D                         Em
Then all men might see the truth and know

                C         D
He is the way to heaven

 Chorus 
G                         D
We want to see We want to see

Em                     C        D7    G
We want to see Jesus lifted high

 Bridge 

G           D                           Em
Step by step we're moving foward

              D                Em
Little by little taking ground

G        D                           Em
Every prayer, a powerful weapon

                    C                      D
Strongholds come tumblin' down and down and down and down


Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?

recorded by Charlie Rich

G7       C                G7           C
Were you there  when they crucified my Lord
                Em        Am           G7
Were you there  when they crucified my Lord
C                             F       Fm
Oh  sometimes it causes me to tremble tremble  
         C                G7           C
Were you there  when they crucified my Lord

G7       C                G7                C     
Were you there  when they nailed Him to the tree
                Em        Am                G7  
Were you there  when they nailed Him to the tree
C                             F       Fm     
Oh  sometimes it causes me to tremble tremble  
         C                G7                C  
Were you there  when they nailed Him to the tree

G7       C                G7              C     
Were you there  when they laid Him in the tomb
                Em        Am              G7  
Were you there  when they laid Him in the tomb
C                            F       Fm
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble tremble  
         C                G7              C
Were you there  when they laid Him in the tomb

G7       C               G7               C
Were you there  when the stone was rolled away
                Em       Am               G7  
Were you there  when the stone was rolled away
C                            F       Fm
Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble tremble  
         C               G7               C  
Were you there  when the stone was rolled away

G7       C                G7           C
Were you there  when they crucified my Lord
G7       C                G7           C
Were you there  when they crucified my Lord

What A Friend We Have in Jesus



D GWhat a friend we have in Jesus,D AAll ours sins and griefs to bear,D GWhat a privilege to carryA DEverything to God in prayer!A DO what peace we often forfeit,G D AO what needless pain we bear,D GAll because we do not carryA DEverything to God in prayer!

Here is the same song in the Key of F:


F                        Bb
What a friend we have in Jesus,
F                           C Bb
All ours sins and griefs to bear,
F                   Bb
What a privilege to carry
F    C                F
Everything to God in prayer!
C                     F
O what peace we often forfeit,
Bb      F                C Bb
O what needless pain we bear,
F                     Bb
All because we do not carry
F    C                F
Everything to God in prayer!

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross: Isaac Watts


E            A             EWhen I survey the wondrous cross             C#m   A         BOn which the Prince of glory died           C#m A            E    BMy richest gain I count but loss            C#m  A          E     BAnd pour contempt on all my pride

White As Snow: Leon Olguin

	  E 		C#m
White as snow, white as snow
	   F#m 		B
Though my sins were as scarlet
	E 	     C#m
Lord I know, Lord I know
	 F#m 		B
That I'm clean and forgiven


	    G#m 	  C#m
Through the power of your blood
	     G#m 	   C#m
Through the wonder of your love
	G#m 		A 		B
Through faith in you I know that I can be
	  E
White as snow 

 

If you're interested in purchasing some music resources to add to your library, visit Gospelkeys.com


All the best,








"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Always and Forever: Rod Temperton


Buy at Art.com
Orange Elephants
Buy From Art.com



I found a chord chart online for the chords, Always and Forever. This will give you an idea for the progressions in the Key of D. The time signature is 6/8 and the tempo moderately flows. The song was written in 1976 by Rod Temperton, who was Heatwave's keyboard player,



D             Dmaj7 
Always and forever, 

Bm               
Each moment with you

G                D 
Is just a like a dream to me

Em7               A7sus,A7 
that somehow came true

D              Dmaj7 
  And I know tomorrow

Bm 
will still be the same,

G                  D 
'Cause we've got a life of love

Em7              A7sus,A7 
That won't ever change

(..chorus..)

They'll always be sunshine
When I look at you
Its something I can't explain
Just the things that you do.
And if you get lonely 
call me and take
a second to give to me
that magic you make

(..chorus..)



CHORUS

Dmaj7
Everyday 

             G   D       Em7  
love me your own special way.

            Asus7  A7 
Melt all my heart away

       Dmaj7,F#m 
With a smile.

G    Bm      Em7 
Take time to tell me

F#m        F#m7 
you really care

    G     Bm    Asus7, A7 
And we'll share tomorrow

Dmaj7, F#m7 
together....

G    Bm     Asus7, A7 
I'll always love you

Dmaj7 
forever ...

                     Cmaj7 Asus7 A7 
(always forever love you

Here's Luther singing Rod's all time hit son, Always and Forever.


           


Now, I have the sheet music in my library. It's in the same key but the chords are a bit different. Here are the chord changes to the song, Always and Forever.

The Intro:

Dmaj7 = D/AC#F#
G9 = G/DFAB
G/A = A/GBD
A7 = A/GC#E
Dmaj7 = D/AC#F#
G9 = G/FACE
Em7 = E/BDEG
A6 = A/C#EF#A

Verse:

Dmaj7 = D/AC#F#
Bm7 = B/ADF#
Gmaj7 = G/BDF#
Dmaj7 = D/C#F#A
Em7 = E/BDEG
G/A = A/GBD
A7 = A/GC#E
Dmaj7 = D/AC#F#
Bm7 = B/ADF#
Gmaj7 = G/BDF#
Dmaj7 = D/C#F#A
Em7 = E/BDEG
A/GBD
D/C#F#A
G/DF#B
Em7 = E/BDG
G/A = A/bDA
Dmaj7 = D/AC#F#
F#m7 = F#/AC#F#
Gmaj7 = G/DF#B
D/F# = F#/F#AE
Em7 = E/DGBB
F#m7 = F#/EAC#
Gmaj7 = G/F#BD
D/F# = F#/ADG
Em7 = E/GBE and A/GBE
Dmaj7 = D/AC#E, AC#F#
F#m7 = F#/AC#E
Em7 = E/GBE
G/A = A/GBD
A(9) = AA/BC#EA (repeat)

Outro:

Dmaj7 = D/AC#F#
G9 = G/DFAB, then D/BDF#A
G/A = A/GBD
A7 = A/GC#E
Dmaj7 = D/AC#F#
G9 = G/FACE, then G/EGBD
G/A = A/GBD, then A/GC#E
Dmaj9 = D/AC#EF#, then D/AC#EF#

You may be interested in a free download, Musician Transformation 44 Page Guide







"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

3 'You Are' Songs with Chords

the letter Y
Photo Credit: Leo Reynolds
Many of you tell me that you're playing for your church and that you are with a worship band. That it so nice to hear and I thank you for sharing with me. I have lots of chord charts that I've saved over the years that mostly are in the Key of G, D and E. There's a few I have in A. The cool thing is that if you know how to play in all the keys, then it doesn't matter what key the worship leader chooses to sing in because you know your theory. Many of you understand the 'number system.' I'll talk about that some more at another time but here's a few oldies that I remember... the songs start with Y.


1. You Are My All In All 
performed by Aaron Shust and written by Dennis Jernigan

G            D                 Em
You are my strength when I am weak
            G               C
You are the treasure that I seek
           G   D  G   D
You are my all in all

G           D             Em
Seeking You as a precious jewel
             G            C
Lord to give up, I'd be a fool
           G   D  G   D
You are my all in all


G  D    Em      G    C     G        D 
Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is Your name
G  D    Em      G    C      D       G
Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is Your name


G         D                 Em
Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
       G                   C
Rising again, I bless Your name
           G   D  G   D
You are my all in all

G           D                 Em
When I fall down, You pick me up
          G                C
When I am dry, You fill my cup
           G   D  G   D
You are my all in all


****


Key of D
D           A                 Bm
You are my strength when I am weak
            F#m               G
You are the treasure that I seek
           Asus   A  D A7  
You are my all in all

D           A             Bm
Seeking You as a precious jewel
             F#m            G
Lord to give up, I'd be a fool
           Asus   A   D
You are my all in all


D  A    Bm      F#m    G     A     D A7
Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is Your name
D  A    Bm      F#m    G      A       D
Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is Your name


D         A                 Bm
Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
       F#m                   G
Rising again, I bless Your name
           Asus   A  D   A7
You are my all in all

D           A                 Bm
When I fall down, You pick me up
          F#m                G
When I am dry, You fill my cup
           Asus   A  D   
You are my all in all

Watch video on YouTube


2. You Are My Hiding Place
by Michael Ledner, 1981

Praise 6 - You Are My Hiding Place


Am            Dm7
You are my hiding place
G            Cmaj7                    Fmaj7
You always fill my heart with songs
        Dm7  Esus  E
Of deliverance whenever I am afraid
                   Am   Dm
I will trust in You
         G   Cmaj7
I will trust in You
            Fmaj7  Dm7
Let the weak say I am strong
  Esus    E
In the strength of the Lord. 

So here's how I play the song:

Am            Dm7
You are my hiding place
G     G/b  Csus    C     G/B  F/A
You always fill my heart with songs
        Dm7  Esus  E
Of deliverance whenever I am afraid
                   Am   Dm7
I will trust in You
         G      G/B
I will trust in You
 C           G/B  F/A  Dm
Let the weak say I am strong
  Esus    E                                 Am
In the strength of the Lord, I will trust in You. 

YouTube video of the song, You Are My Hiding Place.


3. YOU ARE MY KING by Chris Tomlin
Christian Songwriters

D/F#      G2             Asus                  A
I’m forgiven because You were forsaken
D/F#     G2     Asus               A
I’m accepted, You were condemned
D/F#   G2                      Asus            A
I’m alive and well, Your Spirit is within me
       G2           A                    D      
Because You died and rose again.

     D                         G
   Amazing love, how can it be,
     D                              Asus A G/A
   That You my King would die for me?
     D                     G
   Amazing love, I know it’s true,
     D                       Asus  A G/A
   And It’s my joy to honor You,
             G   A              D
   In all I do, I honor You.
(2x)

D                       (G)
You are my King
You are my King


YouTube video of You are My King.

So, keep in mind these three charts are used in a band so everyone is on the same page. Keyboard players will want to play in a different register, upper range most likely and sometimes drop some bass notes. Remember, if you're soloing for the offering or playing songs at weddings, etc. you can always stylize and embellish when playing in another key, like Eb.


You may be interested in Urban Worship Classic and Urban Worship Xtreme
* (affiliate links)







"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King

Study Intervals and Correctly Identify Them


At http://www.foriero.com you'll find a free download and a video to watch regarding music intervals. I used to be a monitor in the zone at the Hear and Play website. There were many moderators at that time and it was a huge community of musicians. I would read some of the online lessons by Jermaine Griggs
ans I took some pretty good notes from these. So, here goes a study on intervals. Thanks for reading and I hope this sincerely answers some of your questions on the subject.


Let’s study intervals and how to correctly identify them. Many times musical intervals are commonly mispronounced and misidentified.


For example, C# to F is not a major third, even though it creates the same sound as a major third. Yes, two notes played harmonically (together) can create the same sound as an interval you’re used to hearing, but depending on how you name them, they can be totally different intervals. C# to F is a fourth (generically) and a diminished fourth (specifically).

Second Intervals


Db / Eb
D is 1
E is 2


Gb / Ab
G is 1
A is 2

Gb / A#
G is 1
G is 2

B / C#
B is 1
C is 2

Third Intervals

C / E
C is 1
D is 2
E is 3

Db / F
D is 1
E is 2
F is 3

C# / E#
C is 1
D is 2
E is 3

E / G#
E is 1
F is 2
G is 3

Db / F#
D is 1
E is 2
 F  is 3

O.k., so now you are becoming a pro at determining generic intervals.

For example, F to A is a third apart and G to C is a fourth apart. Db to F# is a third interval.

So now you have learned the fundamentals determining the name of an interval. Here’s a chart that might help in understanding intervals.

Number of letters counted  |  Generic interval name

1                                                                                           unison
2                                                                                         second
3                                                                                         third
4                                                                                        fourth
5                                                                                         fifth
6                                                                                         sixth
7                                                                                          seventh
8                                                                                         octave (eighth)

Now with generic intervals, we’re not concerned with sharps, flats or key signatures. We’re just talking about the alphabet. With the generic name, we cannot fully build chord structures because it’s too broad.

For example, all of these intervals are thirds:

C to E
Cb to Eb
C# to E#
C to Eb
Cb to E
C to E#

So, you just can’t say third if you want someone to play a particular set of notes. While third is a way to determine what to name an interval, more specifically is needed to really know what to play exactly.

Specific intervals are names like “major thirds,” “major seconds,” “perfect fifths,” and others. The ‘titles’ you see in front of the intervals are what we call qualifying terms. They change generic intervals into specific ones, which tell you exactly which notes to play (unlike the long list of thirds).

Now counting specific intervals is a little different than counting generic intervals. Recall that generic interval counting simply involves the number of letters or notes it takes to create the interval. From C to E, we’d count C as 1, D as 2, and E as 3, which means that this is a third interval.

With specific intervals, we will be counting differently. Specific intervals tell us exactly what’s going on. They don’t undo the  “generic” techniques we learned --- they simply add to it.

It is impossible to have a generic second and then get a major third from the same interval. So, it is important that whatever you determine during “generic” naming holds true when you are using qualifying terms to create specific intervals.

There are different qualifying terms:

Perfect
Major
Minor
Diminished
Augmented

How do we know which one of these terms is suppose to go with our interval? It’s simple. We count half steps. If you’re new to music theory, a half step is also known as a semitone. It is pretty much the smallest interval. From key to key is a half step. C - C# is a half step. E to F is a half step. Notice I’m not skipping any notes. If you skip a note, you aren’t moving in half steps. You’d actually be moving in whole steps. In this case, we count half steps only.

Here’s a poem that will help you remember half steps vs. whole steps:

Half steps are from key to key
With no keys in between,

Whole steps always skip a key
With one key in between.

Now the counting does not start on the first note like it did with generic counting. We are counting the actual steps. So, how many half steps are in between C and E?

C to Db is 1, Db to D is 2,  D to Eb is 3 and Eb to E is 4. The answer: There are 5 half steps between F and Bb.

The chart below shows the interval names and the number of half steps associated with each type of interval.

Interval Name |  No. of half steps

Unison                 0
Minor second  1
Major second  2
Minor third       3
Major third       4
Perfect fourth  5
(Tritone)          (6)
perfect fifth      7
minor sixth        8
major sixth        9
minor seventh  10
major seventh  11
octave (eighth) 12

Notice from the chart above:

The terms “major” and “minor” are reserved for second, third, sixth and seventh intervals.

The term “perfect” is reserved for unison, fourth, fifth, and octave intervals, though you really don’t hear it a lot with unison and octave. So, fourths and fifths, for sure get the “perfect” term. You won’t ever hear perfect second or perfect third because the perfect term only goes with unison, fourth, fifth and octave, as I noted above.

Later, you’ll learn about augmented and diminished terms. They have purposes as well. So, here’s the tricky part. You now know that at interval with 4 half steps separating the notes is called a major third. An example of this would be C to E. This is the same interval that helps to create the major chord.

Let’s look at an interval like C to Eb. What would this be called? Just count up the half steps:

C to Db is 1
Db to D is 2
D to Eb is 3

3 half steps = minor third

Keep in mind that your answer must also pass the “generic interval” test. Is C to Eb a third?

C is 1
D is 2
E is 3

Yes, it passes. What about C to D#?

C to Db is 1
Db to D is 2
D to D# is 3

It has three half steps and these 3 half steps mean a third for sure but would this pass the generic test?

C is 1
D is 2

According to what we know about naming intervals, this should be a second. Any  C to any D is a second. This is where you’ll need to use the qualifying terms: Augmented and Diminished.

Augmented means to make bigger.
Diminished means to make smaller.

In this case, we have a second that is three half steps apart. Since we can’t call it a third, we will have to call it an augmented second… in other words, a “second made bigger.”

So basically, when an interval is a half step larger, it is said to be augmented. When an interval is a half step smaller, it is said to be diminished.

What is a major third up from D?

Step 1: Determine generic interval:

D is 1
E is 2
F is 3

So far, I know that a third up from D is going to be some kind of F. From our chart above, we know that major third intervals always have a 4 half steps in between the lower and upper note.

So start as D:

D to D# is 1
D# to E is 2
E to F is 3
F to _ is 4

This is the big question. Do we say F# or Gb? Well, since we’ve already done step 1 and we know we’re looking for some kind of F, it would make absolutely no sense to choose Gb. Therefore, the answer is F#. From D to F# is a major third interval.

1.     A perfect fifth up from B
(B up to F# is a perfect fifth)

Generic:
B is 1
C is 2
D is 3
E is 4
F is 5

Specific:
B to C is 1
C to C# is 2
C# to D is 3
D to D# is 4
D# to E is 5
E to F is 6
F to f# is 7

2.    A perfect fifth down from C
(C down to F is a perfect fifth)

Generic
C is 1
B is 2
A is 3
G is 4
F is 5

Note: Counting down generically is the same thing. Just count alphabet backwards.

3.    A minor third up from Eb
(Eb up to Gb is a minor third)

Generic
E is 1
F is 2
G is 3

Specific
Eb to E is 1
E to F is 2
F to Gb is 3

4.   A major sixth up from A
(A up to F# is a major sixth)

Generic
A is 1
B is 2
C is 3
D is 4
E is 5
F is 6

Specific
A to  A# is 1
A# to B is 2
B to C is 3
C to C# is 4
C# to D is 5
D to D# is 6
D# to E is 7
E to F is 8
F to F# is 9

5.    A major third down from G
(G down to Eb is a major third)

Generic:
G is 1
F is 2
E is 3

Specific:
G to F# is 1



F# to F is 2
F to E is 3
E to Eb is 4

6.    A perfect fourth up from F
(F up to Bb is perfect fourth)

Generic
F is 1
G is 2
A is 3
B is 4

Specific:
F to Gb is 1
Gb to G is 2
G to Ab is 3
Ab to A is 4
A to Bb is 5

7.    A major second down from C
(C down to Bb is a major second)

Generic:
C is 1
B is 2

Specific:
C to B is 1
 B to Bb is 2

8.    A minor seventh up from A
(A up to G is a minor seventh)

Generic:
A is 1
B is 2
C is 3
D is 4
E is 5
F is 6
G is7

Specific:
A to A# is 1
A# to B is 2
B to C is 3
C to C# is 4
C# to D is 5
D to D# is 6
D# to E is 7
E to F is 8
F to F# is 9
F# to G is 10

9.    A major sixth down from D
(D down to F is a major sixth)

Generic:
D is 1
C is 2
B is 3
A is 4
G is 5
F is 6

Specific:
D to C# is 1
C# to C is 2
 C to B is 3
B to A# is 4
A# to A is 5
A to G# is 6
G# to G is 7
G to F# is 8
F# to F is 9

10. A minor third down from F
(F down to D is a minor third)

Generic:
F is 1
E is 2
D is 3

Specific:
F to E is 1
E to Eb is 2
Eb to D is 3

Now you have a good understanding of intervals and will never quote a major or minor chord wrong again.

You may be interested in, Jazz Intensive Training Center

 Best,








"The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you." B.B.King
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

© copyright 2008-2020 – All rights reserved

LadyD Piano
Related Posts with Thumbnails