Unit 1-Elements of Music

Intervals Chapter 6 pg. 113-135

 Combining Pitches

❖ Intervals- measures the musical space between two

pitche
❖ They are named according to their size and qualit
❖ When naming intervals count the rst and last letter
nam
❖ Unison- when 2 parts play the exact pitch
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 Melodic and Harmonic Intervals

❖ Melodic Intervals- Intervals between successive pitche

❖ Harmonic Intervals- Intervals between 2 pitches sounding
simultaneousl
❖ Take a look & Listen at Handel’s Chaconne in G Major
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Intervals cont…
 Compound Intervals

❖ Compound intervals- Intervals larger than an octav

❖ Simple intervals- are an octave or les
❖ There will be times when you need to label compound intervals
exactly, but most often you will refer to them by simple
intervals
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 Interval Qualities

❖ Interval Quality- the number of half steps within the interva

❖ The number indicates roughly how large the interval is

 Major, Minor & Perfect Intervals

❖ Perfect Fourth (P4)- is the distance from scale degree 1
to scale degree
❖ Perfect Fifth (P5)- is the distance from scales degree 1 to
scales degree
❖ Perfect Octave (P8)- is the distance from scale degree 1
to scale degree
❖ Since the 5th century these are considered the purest
intervals. There is a scienti c reason for this as well…
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 Major, Minor & Perfect Intervals

❖ What does scale degree 3, 6, & 7 have in common again

❖ They are considered modal scale degrees because they
give minor keys their unique soun
❖ When in Major they would be Major 3, 6, & 7th
❖ When in Minor they would be minor 3, 6, & 7ths
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 Inverting Intervals

❖ Inversionally Related intervals are when pairs of intervals are reversed like a
P4 ascending becomes a P5 when inverte
❖ Perfect Intervals still remain perfect with inverted, but a major become a
minor and minor becomes a major interval
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Augmented and Diminished Intervals

❖ Look and listen to to Bach’s Invention in D Minor, mm. 1-5
❖ In between m. 1 & 2 with the descending Bb-C#. That is
considered a diminished seventh.
❖ That is because it spans 7 note names but has one less half step
than a m
❖ In m. 4, with the ascending G-C# that is considered an
Augmented 4th
❖ These are only found in Melodic and Harmonic Minor due to
the altered 6th & 7th scale degree
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 The Tri-Tone

❖ Can be spelled either by an Augmented 4th or Diminished 5th,

depending on where it is positione
❖ More Commonly call a Tri-Tone or (TT
❖ The Tri-Tone is the exact same distance either inverted or not, 3
whole steps or 6 semi-tones
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 Resolution of the Tri-Tone

❖ The Tri-Tone sounds exactly

the same when just playe
❖ 7 always resolves to 1
❖ The 2 intervals resolve-
meaning the way they move
from one harmony to the nex
❖ We can then tell which interval
is which by the way it resolves
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Other Diminished and Augmented Intervals

❖ A4 and d5 are the only that fall in the diatonic scales & Mode
❖ To make other Augmented and diminished intervals by raising or lower
scale degree
❖ Doubly Augmented- When a Major or Perfect interval are raised by a
whole ste
❖ Doubly diminished- When a minor or Perfect interval are lowered by a
whole ste
❖ Enharmonic Equivalent Intervals span the same number of semitones
but have different names.
❖ All intervals can be spelled 4 different ways
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Consonant and Dissonant Intervals

❖ Consonant- if they sound pleasing to the ear or tonally stabl
❖ Dissonant-If they sound jarring, clashing, or if they need to
move to nd a stable poin
❖ Unison, 3rd, 5th, 6th, Octave are all Consonant intervals or
Perfect Consonance
❖ 3rd & 6th are considered Imperfect Consonance
❖ Dissonances include the 2nd, 7th, & all Augmented or
diminished intervals
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 Terms You Should Know

❖ Interval Qualit
❖ Compound Interva
❖ Majo
❖ Consonance-Imperfect & Perfec
❖ Mino
❖ Dissonanc ❖ Perfec
❖ enharmonically related interva ❖ Augmente
❖ Harmonic interva ❖ Diminishe

❖ Interva ❖ Inversionally Related interva

❖ Interval Clas
❖ Melodic Interva
❖ Triton
❖ Interval Size
❖ Unison
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