musical theory - intervals?

Question

I was wondering if anyone could help explain 'intervals' - i.e being able to tell whether 2 notes are a major 2nd, perfect 4th, minor 3rd, etc etc.
When my teacher was explaining, she wrote "2 3 6 7 " then 'augmented, major, minor, diminished' and "1 4 5 8", then "augmented, perfect, diminished'". I sort of understand this, but don't understand how you tell if it is major, minor, or perfect etc.
Basically I'd like a summary of that it all means, and how you work it out.
Thank you

Answer 1

She should clarify it for you. Did you ask her to? Don't be shy! This could get a bit complicated for new music students.



There's a very simple way to look at it... and a very simple explanation to all this.



First off... An "interval" is just the space between two notes. Notes next to each other (please use piano to see this graphically) are separated by half steps (also called half tones). Two half steps equals one full step or what is called a major second.



Example: from C to D there are 2 half tones. C to C# and C# to D. Notice that this would work starting on any note!



THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND....! BECAUSE... by just counting half steps you can figure out ANY INTERVAL.



Here's the simple proof...



A 2nd will always be 2 half tones from any starting note. Like in the example I gave you above from C to D...



A minor 3rd will always be 3 half tones from any starting note. Pick a note and try it... From G, the minor third interval would be A#. G to G#, G# to A, and A to A#. 3 half tones.



A major 3 will always be 4 half tones from any starting note. Example: The E to G# interval... there's a half tone from E to F (that's 1 half tone). There's a half tone from F to F# (that's 2 half tones) there's a half tone from F# to G, (that's 3 half tones) and there's a half tone from G to G#.(that's 4 half tones)



Just count the half tones and you got it.



Rest of the group would be:



A perfect fourth will always be 5 half tones from any starting note. Example: G# to C#.



A perfect fifth will always be 7 half tones from any starting note. Example: D to A.



So we've covered the major 2nd, minor 3rd, perfect 4th (also called just a "fourth") and perfect 5th (also called just a "fifth") intervals.



Now the only ones left are "augmented" and "diminished" intervals.



These terms are ONLY used when talking about the 5th interval. So when talking about a "diminished" interval all you need to do is substract one half step from the 7 half steps that make up a perfect 5th. So instead of 7 half steps, a diminished 5th would have 6 half steps from any starting note. Example: C to F#.



In the case of the "augmented", just add one half step to the 7 half steps that make up the perfect 5th. The "augmented" would then have 8 half steps from any stating note. Example: C to G#.



Since these last 2 are only used in relation to the 5th interval, it's okey to call them "dimished 5th" and "augmented 5th".



Lastly, you only mentioned intervals on your question, but keep in mind that later on this will be very helpful when studying chords and chords' structure.



Although this may not be (unfortunately) the way you're being taught this... this way of looking at it can help you figure out your own ways to work it out, and also hopefully understand what your teacher is doing.... Feel free to experiment and come up with your own system... there are many other ways to look at it that lead to the same results. Work with a piano to see things graphically as well.



What interval would be D# to A?

Answer 2

I am answering this in terms of how the intervals sound, as I think this will help you in deciding "how you tell if it is major minor or perfect".



Intervals are the 'distances' between two notes.



When you hear a Major scale being played you would probably consider the sound 'happy'.



When you hear a minor scale being played you would probably consider the sound 'sound'. Most sad tunes are written in the minor key, classic example Greensleeves; popular example, Elton John's "Sorry seems to be the hardest word".



The interval between each note in either of the scales is defined and fixed no matter on which note you start (you can thank J S Bach for that ~ The Well Tempered Klavier).



Looking at the conventional keyboard, and starting at middle C. Even though there are eight notes between middle C and the next C in the scale of C. There are in fact twelve notes in all. Eight white notes and five black notes. The interval between C and D, as cited in the answer above is called a tone. Even though there is a C# (black note) sitting there, you can ignore that because you want to hear the tone after C, which is D. However the interval between C and C# is a semitone. So any semitone is the interval between one note and the immediately adjoining note on the keyboard.



I hope I haven't lost you. If all else fails, print this out and sit by the keyboard and look at the layout and then play:



C D E F G A B C



you will have played the major scale of C.



So C is your first note, D is the second, E is the third, etc.



When you reach the next C you will be playing the C an 'octave' above. An octave is an interval of eight notes.



The intervals between each note dictate whether you will hear a major scale or minor scale. Likewise if you hear two notes played together you will hear an interval which can be described as majjor, minor, augmented, perfect etc.



I can understand your confusion as your teacher's notes don't seem to make sense. Here are the intervals of the major and minor scales:



Major: 1-2 Tone; 2-3 Tone; 3-4 Semitone; 4-5 Tone; 5-6 Tone; 6-7 Tone; 7-8 Semitone.



Minor (melodic): 1-2 Tone; 2-3 semi-Tone; 3-4 Tone; 4-5 Tone; 5-6 semiTone; 6-7 Tone; 7-8 Tone.



Just to be a bit awkward, there are two types of minor scales: melodic and harmonic. The melodic is what composers use to carry the tune; the harmonic is what composers use to make the harmonies (just don't get hung up on this right now, but I only mention it as you might have seen references to it).



Now back to the keyboard. Stay in the key of C.

Play C and E together. You're listening to a MAJOR third. That is the interval between the first and third note of the scale of C. It is also a major interval because there are four semitones OR two tones between the notes. It sounds happy doesn't it?



Now play C and Eflat (or D#) together. You're listening to a minor third. The interval is minor because there is a tone and semitone between the notes.



If you play C and F your playing a perfect fourth. Its called 'perfect' because the interval between the note is the same whether its in the major or minor scale. The same goes for the fifth interval.



So perfect intervals are the same intervals in either scale and are the fourth and fifth (you could say the same for the second, but composers play with this).



I can't quite see what your teacher was getting at with the 2, 3, 6, 7 followed by the different intervals. You;ll have to ask them.



Its a bit late, not sure if I'm making sense any more ..

Answer 3

no sorry'''