Intervals You Can Actually Hear

Recognise the twelve intervals inside an octave by sound, by song reference, and by shape on the guitar.

Listen to this lesson

Synthesized voice, not a studio recording

Speed

Ready to read aloud · 1/14

What you will learn

How to count an interval correctly from one note to another.
The character of each interval: consonant, dissonant, bright, dark.
Reliable song hooks for memorising each interval sound.
How interval shapes look on adjacent strings.

The concept

An interval is the distance between two pitches, measured in half steps and named with a number and a quality. The number comes from counting letter names, including the starting one. From C to E is a third because you count C, D, E.

The quality tells you the exact size: major, minor, perfect, augmented, or diminished. A major third is four half steps; a minor third is three. Perfect fourths and fifths are special because they sound stable and were the first intervals codified in Western harmony.

Inside one octave there are twelve intervals: unison, minor second, major second, minor third, major third, perfect fourth, tritone, perfect fifth, minor sixth, major sixth, minor seventh, major seventh, and finally the octave. Every melody you have ever liked is built from these building blocks.

On the guitar

On a single string, an interval is just a fret count. From E open to G on fret three is a minor third (three half steps). From E open to B on fret seven is a perfect fifth (seven half steps).

Across two adjacent strings, the same interval has a different shape. A perfect fifth from the sixth string root sits two frets higher on the fifth string; from the third string to the second the shape stretches one more fret because of the major third tuning between those strings.

Exercises

01
Sing or hum a perfect fifth using the opening of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as a reference, then check yourself on the guitar.
02
Pick a random fret on the third string and find the major third above and below it.
03
Play any two notes a tritone apart and notice the unresolved tension.
04
Loop a drone on the open A string and improvise melodies using only thirds and fifths above it.

Common mistakes

Counting from zero instead of from the starting note. From C to E is a third, not a second.
Mixing the size (number) with the quality. A diminished fifth and a perfect fourth are different intervals even though they share six half steps with a tritone.
Learning interval shapes without ever singing them.

Listen, play, create

Listen: the opening leap of Somewhere Over the Rainbow is a perfect octave. The first two notes of Star Wars main theme are a perfect fifth.
Play: choose one interval per day and find it on every string pair.
Create: write a four note motif using only minor thirds and major seconds.