Intervals in music

In short: An interval describes the pitch distance between two notes and forms one of the most fundamental building blocks of music theory. Intervals significantly shape how melodies and harmonies sound and feel.

In more detail: Intervals are named by their size, such as second, third, or fifth, based on how many scale steps they span.

In detail

• Consonant intervals: Octaves, fifths, and fourths are considered especially stable and harmonious-sounding, since their frequency ratios are simple.
• Dissonant intervals: Minor and major seconds, as well as sevenths, produce a more tension-filled, less resolved sound.
• Major and minor thirds: The difference between a major and minor third largely determines whether a chord is perceived as major or minor.
• Perfect, augmented, and diminished intervals: Depending on the exact number of semitone steps, an interval gets an additional quality designation.
• Intervals in ear training: Musicians often specifically train recognising intervals to play back or transcribe melodies more quickly.
• Intervals in chords: Every chord consists of a specific combination of intervals that determines its characteristic sound.
• Cultural perception: While some intervals are considered universally consonant in Western music, their evaluation varies significantly in other musical traditions (tonleitern-dur-und-moll, akkorde-grundlagen).