Interval Training
Listen to the interval and identify it below
About Interval Training
Intervals are the building blocks of melody and harmony. Learn to hear them and you suddenly have a vocabulary for every song you have ever heard — and the tools to transcribe, harmonize, and improvise on top of them.
What an Interval Is
An interval is the distance between two pitches. Intervals are described by two pieces of information: a number (how many letter names apart they are) and a quality (major, minor, perfect, diminished, or augmented). A "major third" is three letter names apart and a particular size; a "perfect fifth" is five letter names apart at a different size.
Interval recognition is the single most useful ear-training skill, because every melody is a chain of intervals and every chord is a stack of them. Recognize the steps and you understand the music's shape.
The Thirteen Intervals Inside an Octave
| Interval | Half steps | Sound | Famous song reference (ascending) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unison | 0 | Same note | — |
| Minor 2nd | 1 | Tense, leaning | Jaws theme |
| Major 2nd | 2 | Bright step | "Happy Birthday" (first two notes) |
| Minor 3rd | 3 | Sad | "Greensleeves" |
| Major 3rd | 4 | Happy | "When the Saints Go Marching In" |
| Perfect 4th | 5 | Strong, hymn-like | "Here Comes the Bride" |
| Tritone | 6 | Restless | The Simpsons theme |
| Perfect 5th | 7 | Open, heroic | Star Wars main theme |
| Minor 6th | 8 | Wistful | The Entertainer (Joplin) |
| Major 6th | 9 | Sweet | "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" |
| Minor 7th | 10 | Bluesy | Star Trek theme |
| Major 7th | 11 | Yearning | "Take On Me" (chorus leap) |
| Octave | 12 | Same note, higher | "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" |
Direction Matters
The same interval can be played three ways, and each has a different texture in the ear:
- Ascending — the second note is higher than the first. This is the easiest direction for most beginners.
- Descending — the second note is lower. Harder to hear than ascending because most familiar song references go up.
- Harmonic (together) — both notes at once. The hardest of the three, because you cannot count steps between them; you must recognize the combined sound.
Get comfortable with one direction at a time. Most learners benefit from mastering ascending intervals first, then descending, and finally harmonic.
The "Reference Song" Method
The fastest way to learn intervals by ear is to attach each one to a song you already know. When you hear the interval, you hum the first two notes of its reference song and compare. After a few weeks, you stop needing the reference; the interval has its own identity.
Pick references that fit your musical taste. A jazz fan will learn intervals from standards; a film-music fan from movie themes; a metal fan from riffs. The table above is a starting point, not a prescription.
Tips
- Start on Beginner, which gives you only four intervals: unison, octave, perfect 4th, perfect 5th. These four have the most distinct sounds and build confidence fast.
- Sing the interval after each round, even silently. Singing it forces your ear to commit to a guess instead of cycling through buttons.
- If two intervals confuse you, drill only those two for a few minutes. Targeted practice beats general practice every time.
- Major and minor thirds are the most useful pair to distinguish — they are the difference between major and minor chords.
- The tritone (six half-steps) is the most unstable interval. It is also the only interval that, when inverted, becomes itself again.
Tip: Pair interval training with the Synthesizer. After each round, play the interval yourself. The physical movement of your fingers helps cement the sound.