Beginner Music Steps: Learn Intervals

The most elemental part of music theory is understanding the relationship between single notes. The distance between those notes is an interval, which will serve as the foundation for practically every single concept throughout this book.

So an interval is defined as the distance from one note to another. Intervals are going to provide the basic framework for everything else in music. Not only is knowledge of intervals as a subject itself important, but intervals are used everywhere. Small intervals combine to form scales. Larger intervals combine to form chords. Intervals will aid you in voice leading, composition, and transposition. There are virtually no musical situations where intervals aren't used, and even in some dissonant music of the twentieth century, intervals are still the basis for most composition and analysis.

There are five different types of intervals:

• Major Intervals
• Minor Intervals
• Perfect Intervals
• Augmented Intervals
• Diminished Intervals





Photo Credit: Keyseeker




You've got to learn intervals! What are they? Well, an interval in music is the "distance in pitch between two notes." The interval is counted from the lower note to the higher one, with the lower counted as 1. All intervals (except for the unison and octave) are named by the number of the upper note: 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, etc.

Now, if you're referring to the distance between notes played separately, they are called melodic intervals. If you are referring tot he distance between notes played together at the same time, they are called harmonic intervals.

You can also use similar terminology to describe distances between chords by saying that you will want to play the major chord a fourth up from C. In this case, it would be F major because F is a fourth up from C. Regardless of whether you're referencing single notes (melodies), notes played together (chords) or distances between chords, intervals are intervals.

For example, F will always be a fourth up from C. Bb will always be a third up from Gb and G will always be a fifth up from C. Briefly, I'll list the names of each interval here.

In the Key of C Major:

The interval between C and the same C is called: Perfect Unison.

The interval between C and the next C on the piano (an 8th up) is called: Perfect Octave.

The interval between C and D is called: Major Second.

The interval between C and E is called: Major Third.

The interval between C and F is called: Perfect Fourth.

The interval between C and G is called: Perfect Fifth.

The interval between C and A is called Major Sixth.

The interval between C and B is called Major Seventh.

Notice that some names get a "major" put in front and some get a "perfect" put in front. This would be a big deal if you were taking a music theory test tomorrow, but for now, we just want to focus on the numbers.

As a reference:

Unison, octave (which, in C major would be "C") get to use "perfect" along with the fourth and fifth intervals.

So, 1, 4, 5, and 8 use the name "perfect."

Second, third, sixth, and seventh use the name "major."

For playing by ear, the importance is that you start mastering a major second sound or a major third sound both as melodic intervals (played as separate notes going from one to the other) and as harmonic intervals (played together).

If I played "C" on the piano and asked you to listen to it and then hum the main tone along with me, since you know that C is the reference point, you should be able to hum any interval from C.

* If you know the starting note, with relative pitch, this is all you need! *

For example, If I play "C" on the piano, you should be able to sing "D." From C, you might be able to sing E and from E, you probably can sing Eb because Eb is one-half step below E. Once you have Eb, try to sing Ab.

Exercise:

1. As you study intervals and build your ear skills, have someone play any first note and tell you what it is.

2. Then have them play the second note (start off easy and make sure it's a note from the same major scale). Start in the key of C major.

3. Make sure after the first initial note, they don't tell you what note they are playing.

4. Based on your understanding of intervals, attempt to guess what note is being played. If you get the note right, have them play another note from that note.

5. This will really get you to hear second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh intervals.

6. The easiest ones to guess are the fifth intervals. Think of C going to G and then back and forth...
 C-G-C-G-C-G. Does that sound like a tuba player in the orchestra warming up? Perhaps circus music or intro music for a clown.

7. Make a habit of doing exercises like this so that you are constantly testing yourself.

Two resources you may be interested in are:

Jazz, Rags & Blues, Bk 1: 10 Original Pieces for the Late Elementary to Early Intermediate Pianist, Book & CD, and  PITCH Ear Training Software

I hope you'll leave me a note and let me know if this helps. How is your piano playing coming along?  I'm thinking about getting ready for back to school... not yet but it's a-coming real soon!

-- LadyD

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

The Diminished Seventh Chord: We Will Worship the Lamb of Glory

The DIMINISHED SEVENTH chord may be formed by lowering each note of the DOMINANT SEVENTH (V7) chord one half step, except the root, which remains the same.

IMPORTANT! The interval between each note of a diminished seventh chord is a minor 3rd (3 half steps)!

Now you'll want to spell each chord correctly! The Gdim7 chord should not be spelled G Bb Db E, even though the notes E and Fb are ENHARMONIC (that is, they represent the same key on the piano). The interval from G to E is a 6th. The interval from G to Fb is a 7th (in this case a diminished 7th).

In forming a Cdim7 chord, it is necessary to flat the note Bb. When a flatted note is flatted again, it becomes a DOUBLE FLAT, indicated by the sign bb. In this case, the note must be called Bbb, not A.

REMEMBER: When diminished 7th chords are properly spelled, one letter of the musical alphabet is skipped between each note.

Play a dim7 chord on each note of the chromatic scale below. Build each chord by adding 3 notes above the root, each 3 half steps apart. Play with RH using 1 2 3 5 fingering on each chord. Repeat one octave lower with LH, using 5 3 2 1.

Cdim7 = C Eb Gb Bbb

C#dim7 = C# E G Bb

Ddim7 = D F Ab Cb

D#dim7 = D# F# A C

Edim7 = E G Bb Db

Fdim7 = F Ab Cb Ebb

There's a worship song that I've done that has a dim7 chord in it in the Key of D. Do you know We Will Worship The Lamb of Glory by Dennis Jernigan?
D                                     A/D

We will worship the Lamb of Glory,
D                   A/D          Bbdim7
We will worship the King of kings,
Bm7                  Esus     E
We will worship the Lamb of Glory,
G        A7sus   A7   D  A  D  A
We will worship the King.
 

                         A
And with our hands lifted high,
         G         D
We will worship and sing.
                           A
And with our hands lifted high,
           G            D
We come before You rejoicing,
                       G           D/F#
With our hands lifted high to the sky,
         Bbdim7            Bm7
And the world wonders why 

            G               A7sus  A7   D

We'll just tell them we're loving our King.

We Will Worship in Key of E 

Thanks for stopping by.
I hope you enjoy your stay at LadyD Piano.

How Do You Know Where To Start A Song?

Image via Wikipedia

Have you thought of this question and always wanted to ask: "How do you know where to start a song when someone requests that you play it in a certain key?" The answer to this question depends on a number of things.


First, you have to know the degree of the scale on which the song starts; it can then be transposed to any key. Let's say you've been playing a tune in the key of C, and the song starts on G (the 5th degree of the scale). When you play the song in another key it will start on the 5th note of that scale. (To be able to work in this way  requires a knowledge of all the scales - 12 key's worth!)


Developing your ear is another very effective way to deal with this situation. To do this, practice hearing intervals; play a C on the piano, and try to hear the note of G (a fifth away). Check yourself on the piano to see how close you are. This should be done with all intervals (3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, etc.)


Being familiar with the piece and knowing the beginning note and chord is necessary. If it starts on the I chord, you will begin on the I chord in any key; if it is the II chord the same rule applies.


To sum up, go back to the basics. Learn all the scales in 12 keys, and enhancing your ear by practicing intervals. Then, knowing the first note and chord, and its degree of the scale, you can transpose any tune to a different key.


* Great Music Resource:

 
Learn to Play the Piano By Ear

All the best,
LadyD

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