Intervals above the tonic
Tone or semitone?
You met tones and semitones in the scales lesson. To tell them apart between two notes, picture a piano:
- the very next key, with nothing between: a semitone;
- one key in between: a tone.
Remember the key signature: in G major an F is really F sharp, and F sharp to G is a semitone.
Numbering an interval
An interval is the distance between two notes. Its number comes from counting the letter names, counting both notes.
From C up to G: C, D, E, F, G. That is five letter names, so the interval is a 5th. Two notes with the same letter, eight apart, make an octave.
| From C up to | Letters counted | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| D | C D | 2nd |
| E | C D E | 3rd |
| F | C D E F | 4th |
| G | C D E F G | 5th |
| A | C D E F G A | 6th |
| B | C D E F G A B | 7th |
| C | C D E F G A B C | octave (8th) |
Melodic and harmonic
Two notes played one after the other make a melodic interval; played together they make a harmonic interval. The number is counted the same way.
Tip: on the stave, a line to the next line is a 3rd; a line to the next space is a 2nd. Count the steps if you are unsure: every line and every space is one letter.
This question is in Brainlag Plus