Intervals
An interval is the distance between two notes.
Intervals have two elements:
Quantity:
The diatonic value, or letter to letter distance.- Unisons (1sts)
- 2nds
- 3rds
- 4ths
- 5ths
- 6ths
- 7ths
- Octaves (8ths)
Quality:
The chromatic value, or distance in half-steps; in combination with the quantity.- Major
- Minor
- Augmented
- Diminished
- Perfect
| Interval | Notes | Chromatic Value |
Quality | Quantity | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unison | C : C | 0 | Perfect | 1st | |
| mi2 | C : D |
1 | Minor | 2nd | |
| M2 | C : D | 2 | Major | 2nd | |
| mi3 | C : E |
3 | Minor | 3rd | |
| M3 | C : E | 4 | Major | 3rd | |
| P4 | C : F | 5 | Perfect | 4th | |
| TriTone | C : F |
6 | Aug/Dim | 4th/5th | |
| P5 | C : G | 7 | Perfect | 5th | |
| mi6 | C : A |
8 | Minor | 6th | |
| M6 | C : A | 9 | Major | 6th | |
| mi7 | C : B |
10 | Minor | 7th | |
| M7 | C : B | 11 | Major | 7th | |
| Octave | C : C | 12 | Perfect | 8th |
- 2nds, 3rds, 6ths, and 7ths cannot be perfect.
- Unisons and Octaves should only be perfect.
- 4ths and 5ths cannot be major or minor.
- 5ths and 7ths are commonly diminished intervals.
- 2nds, 4ths, and 5ths are commonly augmented intervals.
Enharmonic and octave equivalents:
2 : 9
4 : 11
6 : 13 :