Master the distances between pitches—the building blocks of melodies, harmonies, and chords. Intervals are measured in half-steps (semitones): unison (0), minor 2nd (1), major 2nd (2), minor 3rd (3), major 3rd (4), perfect 4th (5), tritone (6), perfect 5th (7), minor 6th (8), major 6th (9), minor 7th (10), major 7th (11), octave (12).
Each has distinct emotional quality: major 3rd sounds happy, minor 3rd sad, perfect 5th powerful, tritone unsettling. Train ears to recognize intervals by sound—use song references ("Happy Birthday" starts with major 2nd, "Star Wars" theme opens with perfect 5th). Essential for: sight-singing, transcription, improvisation, understanding chord construction. net offer free training.
Intervals unlock music theory—every chord, scale, and melody is intervals.