Melodic Intervals
What it is
An interval is the distance between two notes. When you play the two notes one after another, it is a melodic interval: this is how melodies are made. When you play them at the same time, it is a harmonic interval: this is how chords are made.
A melodic interval can go up (ascending) or down (descending).
How to name an interval: 2 steps
- 1. The number: count the letter names from the first note to the second, including both. C to E: C, D, E = a 3rd.
- 2. The quality: count the semitones, every key on the piano, black and white. C to E is 4 semitones = a major 3rd. C to E♭ is 3 semitones = a minor 3rd.
Try it: the 12 intervals
Tap an interval. You see it on the keyboard and hear it from C: one note after the other, or both together. The small number is the count of semitones.
On sheet music
On the staff, count the lines and spaces from the first note to the second, including both. Line to line, or space to space, gives an odd number: 3rd, 5th, 7th. Line to space gives an even number: 2nd, 4th, 6th.
Steps and leaps: writing a melody
- Steps (2nds) make a melody smooth. Most melodies move mostly by step.
- Leaps (3rds and bigger) make a melody exciting and easy to remember. Many famous melodies start with a leap.
- After a big leap, a melody often steps back the other way. It feels natural to the ear.
From intervals to chords
A chord is intervals played together. Stack two thirds and you have a triad, the base of almost every chord. Tap a chord to hear its notes one by one, then together.
Intervals in chord symbols
Modern chord symbols are a short way to write intervals. Each number is an interval counted from the root note.
| Symbol | Notes on C | Intervals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | C E G | 1 3 5 | |
| Cm | C E♭ G | 1 ♭3 5 | |
| C5 | C G | 1 5 | power chord |
| Csus2 | C D G | 1 2 5 | |
| Csus4 | C F G | 1 4 5 | |
| C6 | C E G A | 1 3 5 6 | |
| C7 | C E G B♭ | 1 3 5 ♭7 | |
| Cmaj7 | C E G B | 1 3 5 7 | |
| Cm7 | C E♭ G B♭ | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | |
| Cadd9 | C E G D | 1 3 5 9 | |
| Cdim | C E♭ G♭ | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | |
| Caug | C E G♯ | 1 3 ♯5 |
Where the sweetest intervals come from
The calmest intervals come straight from the harmonic series: octave 2:1, fifth 3:2, fourth 4:3, major third 5:4, minor third 6:5. The simpler the ratio, the sweeter the sound.
How Inner Dive uses it
In the Generator, you can combine pure tones and instruments into these intervals and chords. Everything you hear on this page is tuned to A4 = 432 Hz.