List of Musical Intervals - Music Theory

What is an Interval ?

An interval is the distance between two notes, each one is represented by a number (1,2,3,4,5,6,7...) and a prefix related to its quality ("M" for major, m for minor, "P" for perfect, "d" for diminished and "A" for augmented).

There are five different qualities.

An interval can be melodic, when the tones are successive (played one after the other) and harmonic, if the notes are stacked (played simultaneously).

Knowing the name of each interval on guitar and on any other instrument is very important.

Intervals are essential elements of music theory.

They are very useful to understand how chords and scales are built.

Interval Names - Simple and Compound

This chart shows the names of the most used intervals while at the same time demonstrating the relation between a simple interval and its related compound interval.

You must know that a simple interval is less than an octave and a compound interval is larger than an octave.

Interval Qualities

Intervals Are Divided Into 5 Qualities :

• Major (2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th)
• Minor (2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th)
• Perfect (4th and 5th)
• Diminished (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th)
• Augmented (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th)

The major prefix is only used for seconds (2), thirds (3), sixth (6) and seventh (7). Major intervals are usually labeled with a "M". 

The minor prefix is also used for seconds (2), thirds (3), sixth (6) and seventh (7). In this case, minor intervals are labeled with a small "m".

Perfect intervals are labeled with a "P". They include the fourth (4th) and the fifth (5th). They are so-called because of their perfect consonance.

The augmented quality is especially applied to perfect intervals (fourth and fifth) and sometimes to seconds and thirds. It means that they are augmented with a semitone.

Augmented intervals are labelled with an "A" or sometimes with "Aug" or "+".

Diminished intervals are created when a fourth is lowered by a half-step (semitone) although more rarely 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th are concerned. They are labeled with a small "d" and abbreviated "dim" and even written with a "o".

This overview chart provide a reference point to determine the different possible qualities.

NON EXISTANT

RARE

EXISTANT

Inverted, Enharmonic and Complementary Intervals  

Inverted Interval

A simple interval can be inverted by raising the lower tone an octave or lowering the lower tone an octave.

In other words, this is an interval whose lower tone is switched with the highest.

For example, when a minor second interval (C and D) is inverted it becomes a major seventh interval (D and C).

Here is a list of the intervals and their inversions.

Complementary Intervals

Two intervals are complementary when the addition of these two intervals give an octave.

This is the addition of an interval and its inversion.

Check out the chart above, you can see that m2 (1semitone) and its inversion M7 (11 semitones) are complementary. 1 + 11 = 12 semitones needed to get an octave.

Enharmonic Intervals

Enharmonic intervals have the same sound, but are named differently.

The most known are the augmented fourth and the diminished fifth. These intervals divide the octave into two equal parts.

That's what we call "the tritone" which is built with three whole steps (6 semitones).

Consonant and Dissonant Intervals

Intervals can be consonant or dissonant.

Consonant intervals are stable, pleasant and agreeable.

Dissonant intervals are tense and have to be resolved to consonant intervals.

Consonant intervals can be divided into two groups : perfect and imperfect.

Dissonant intervals can be divided into two categories: sharp and soft.

Consonnant Intervals?

Dissonant Intervals

Auditive Impression

Stability

These intervals are described as stable.

• Unison
• Octave
• Perfect fifth (P5)
• Perfect fourth (P4)

Color / Quality

These intervals give the color and the quality to chords.

• Major third (M3)
• Minor third (m3)
• Major sixth (M6)
• Minor sixth (m6)

Tension

These intervals bring tension and instability.

• Major second (M2)
• Minor second (m2)
• Major seventh (M7)
• Minor seventh (m7)
• Augmented fourth (A4)
• Diminished fourth (d4)
• Augmented fifth (A5)
• Diminished fifth (d5)

Ear training and development

Here are some ideas of work to develop your musical ear using intervals :

• Memorize the names of the intervals.
• Recognize, sing and play through a recording or a dictation.
• Recognize, sing and play an interval starting from any note.
• Work three forms of intervals : Melodic ascending, melodic descending and harmonic.
• Play scales by intervals.