Understanding Musical Intervals
This page introduces the concept of intervals in music and their fundamental characteristics. It covers the basic definitions and classifications of intervals, which are essential for understanding music theory.
Definition: An interval is the distance between two pitches in music.
The page explains that intervals can be classified into two main types:
- Melodic intervals: Pitches sounding one after another
- Harmonic intervals: Pitches sounding simultaneously
Example: A melodic interval might be heard in a solo melody line, while a harmonic interval would be heard in a chord.
The guide then introduces two key aspects of intervals:
- Quantity: Determined by counting the distance between letter names
- Quality: Used to distinguish intervals, especially those with the same quantity
Highlight: The quantity of an interval is always counted from the bottom note and includes both the starting and ending notes.
The page provides examples of how to count interval quantities, noting that line-to-line or space-to-space intervals will always be odd numbers, while space-to-line orviceversa will be even.
Vocabulary: Enharmonic notes are notes that sound the same but are written differently, such as C# and Db.
The guide emphasizes the importance of interval quality in distinguishing between intervals of the same quantity, introducing the main qualities: major, minor, perfect, augmented, and diminished.