MUSICAL INTERVALS
An interval in music is simply the gap - or difference in pitch - between two notes.
UNISON
The smallest gap is therefore none at all so in the example shown here, both the notes are the same and are therfore said to be in unison.
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MINOR SECOND
Next we have an interval where notes are a single semitone apart. Most times musicians will simply refer to this as semitone but the interval is also technically called a Minor Second.
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MAJOR SECOND
The interval name for notes which are two semitones or one tone apart is a Major Second.
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MINOR THIRD
Notes which are three semitones apart are known as being a Minor Third apart. This interval is used in jazz as it is the gap between the first and second note of a minor chord.
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MAJOR THIRD
A Major Third is an interval between two notes of four semitones. This is the interval between the first two notes of a major chord.
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PERFECT FOURTH
The interval equating to five semitones is known as a Perfect Fourth. That's because there is no minor or major version just one fourth. Please see the following diagram of two C scales the Major and the Minor.
The notes which are the same are the perfect intervals, unison, fourth, fifth and octave.
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AUGMENTED FOURTH / DIMINISHED FIFTH
TRITONE
If an interval is augmented it is a semitone higher and if it is diminished it is a semitone lower. So for example a C Major chord is C, E, G but a C Major chord with diminished fifth is C E G flat. That is because the G is the note that is the fifth interval in the C chord and because it is diminished it becomes a G flat.
All intervals have an augmented and diminished name as well as their unique name. A gap of six semitones can be called a Tritone as it is equal to 3 whole tones but can also be called either an augmented fourth (5 semitones + 1) or a diminished fifth (7 semitones - 1).
I have included the explanation of augmented and diminished intervals here because a Tritone is not a term I have not generally heard used and for this interval I believe you may be more likely to hear the augmented or dimished expression.
All intervals have an augmented and diminished name as well as their unique name. A gap of six semitones can be called a Tritone as it is equal to 3 whole tones but can also be called either an augmented fourth (5 semitones + 1) or a diminished fifth (7 semitones - 1).
I have included the explanation of augmented and diminished intervals here because a Tritone is not a term I have not generally heard used and for this interval I believe you may be more likely to hear the augmented or dimished expression.
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PERFECT FIFTH
Having seen the scales above you have probably worked this out already but just for completeness sake, yes a Perfect Fifth is a seven semitone interval. This is an important interval as it is the interval to the third note in a major chord.
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MINOR SIXTH
An interval of eight semitones is a minor sixth.
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MAJOR SIXTH
A Major Sixth interval is one of nine semitones. A sixth note is often added to both major and minor chords in jazz.
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MINOR SEVENTH
The minor seventh which is a ten semitone interval is very often used in jazz. It is added to the main three notes of a chord to make a dominant chord. For example if you take a c major chord consisting of C E and G and add the minor seventh which is B flat you have a C dominant seventh chord.
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MAJOR SEVENTH
A Major Seventh interval equals eleven semitones. This is another interval often used in jazz. In this case a C major chord would be C E G and B.
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OCTAVE
An octave interval is the difference in pitch between notes of the same name. So a lower on a ledger line one line below the stave to the next C up on the second space below the top of the stave is an octave.
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