Welcome, this is your short video on recognizing simple intervals in
music.
Let’s take a look at this first figure that is from one of your online
readings. An interval is the distance between two notes. It is a
measurement. Think of it like a musical ruler, if you wish. It this case,
what we do is we count the number of notes (steps). You start on the note,
count on the note “one,” here the space is “two,” and then the line is
“three.” So this is considered a simple interval of “3.” It is some sort
of “third.”
Let’s look at the bass clef and the example down here. So we start on the
space, you count “one” on the space; two, three, four, five; six brings up
to the line. So this is considered an interval of a sixth.
Now in music we have more going on than simply the number. Look at this
example here. We have numbers indicating the numeric distance between the
“C” and the note above it. So here we have a 2, one two. Let’s count
another one. This is a fifth of some sort, so there should be five.
Counting the line: 1,2 the space, 3 the line, 4 the space, and 5 the line.
So this is some sort of fifth.
But notice that we have more going on than just these numbers, we have
letters. We have a “P” and an upper case “M.” That is all we see. In music
we also have lower case “m,” “A,” and a “d.” These are called the quality
of the interval. For this course I am not going to have you identify all
of the intervals in music, music majors would be doing this. But what I
want you to be aware of is that these intervals are the qualities that are
given in what is called a “major scale.” Notice that all of the “Ms” are
upper case, which indicate a major interval. All of the “Ps” indicate
perfect intervals. Those perfect and major intervals are what makes up the
major scale. Notice that we have no other letters there. No minor
intervals, lower case “m;” no augmented intervals with “A;” no diminished
intervals with a “d.” So the quality of intervals in a major scale is only
perfect or major.
Now these are things that you will need to memorize here. When you have
two Cs, that gives you a perfect unison. Then that is followed by major
and major; a major 2nd and a major 3rd. Then we have two more perfect
intervals, a perfect 4th and a perfect 5th. Then again followed by two
major intervals. So you will need to memorize this sequence and be able to
recognize that. These are the simple intervals—nothing too complex here.
You need to figure out the number and then figure out within the major
scale whether the interval is perfect or major. Thank you.