7 Major and Perfect Intervals

Intervals are simply the relationship between two notes. Generally, intervals can be found in music in three different formats. Melodic ascending (bottom note played, then top note played), melodic descending (top note played, then bottom note played), and harmonic (both notes played at the same time). For the purpose of this book, we will be focusing on melodic ascending. 

To begin, we will focus on the diatonic intervals found in the major scale. For more information on intervals, including why and how to name these intervals, read Chapter 18 in Introduction to Music Theory and Rudiments.

There are seven diatonic intervals that we will be focusing on in this module, starting with the major 2nd and going all the way to the perfect 8th.

Now, let’s focus on how they sound:

Major 2nd

Listen to the two notes. How do they sound to you? Do they feel close together or far apart? Can you hum them? Use the Record button below to record yourself and evaluate. Because we know that this is a major 2nd, we can try singing them on the numbers 1, then 2.  

Major 3rd

Now listen to the major 3rd. Does it sound farther apart than the major 2nd? Can you hum the notes? Sing them on 1 and 3? Continue this process through the remaining intervals, focusing on how the notes sound compared to one another. Use the Record button at the bottom of this page to record yourself and evaluate.

Perfect 4th

Perfect 5th

Major 6th

Major 7th

Perfect 8/Octave