Intervals: The Building Blocks of Melody and Harmony

An interval is the distance between two pitches. It is the most fundamental measurement in music theory — the unit from which melodies are constructed, harmonies are built, and scales are defined. Every melodic leap you have ever heard, every pair of notes in a chord, every step in a scale is an interval. They come in two forms: melodic intervals, where the two pitches are sounded in sequence, and harmonic intervals, where they sound simultaneously. The same distance between the same two notes is a melodic interval when played in a melody and a harmonic interval when played in a chord — which reveals an important truth: intervals are relationships, not pitches.

Intervals are named with two components: a number and a quality. The number is determined by counting the scale degrees from the lower note to the upper note, inclusive — from C to G is a fifth, because C-D-E-F-G covers five consecutive letter names. The quality describes the precise size in half steps: perfect, major, minor, augmented, or diminished. Perfect intervals apply to unisons, fourths, fifths, and octaves. Major and minor apply to seconds, thirds, sixths, and sevenths. Raise a perfect interval by a half step and it becomes augmented; lower it and it becomes diminished. Raise a major interval and it becomes augmented; lower it and it becomes minor; lower a minor interval and it becomes diminished. The system is logical, and once internalized, it is fast.

The ability to hear and identify intervals by ear — to listen to two notes and know immediately whether they form a minor third or a major sixth — is one of the most powerful skills a musician can develop. It is not mystical. It is pattern recognition, developed through repeated exposure, and it is entirely learnable. The fastest route to interval recognition is not a chart of half steps but a library of memorable musical examples: a perfect fourth sounds like the opening of a certain hymn, a minor sixth like the opening of a certain love theme, a tritone like the dissonance that opens a certain horror film score. Music teaches music. The intervals in your ears are the intervals in every piece you have ever loved.

Fundamentals of Music: A Modern Approach is the perfect introductory music workbook for high school and college students, delivering a fresh comprehensive approach to music fundamentals. The textbook features fourteen detailed chapters, innovative tools, activities, worksheets, an index and a glossary. By infusing musical content with his rich experience in the popular, jazz, and commercial music industry, Professor Richard N. Kahn effectively bridges the divide between classical music pedagogy and jazz and commercial techniques. In this way, Fundamentals of Music: A Modern Approach provides even-handed coverage of a wide variety of musical styles, from Medieval to Motown.

For more information on this topic and others or to purchase music, Disklavier MIDI files, or sheet music, please visit: richardkahnmusic.com

To purchase an interactive version of the book, please visit: https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/fundamentals-music-modern-approach