We have looked at the Major and Minor intervals. Just to recap they are the 2 nd, 3 rd, 6 th and 7 th. Remember: The Minor 2 nd is a semitone

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So, in Lesson 1 last week we covered:

- Basic clefs and the correct reading of the notes on the staves. - Accidentals and their basic rules.

- Forms of Major and Minor scale. - Tones and Semitones.

- How to correctly identify and describe major and minor intervals. In Lesson 2 this week I hope to cover:

- How to correctly identify and describe perfect, augmented and diminished intervals.

- How to correctly identify and describe intervals greater than an octave. - How to correctly identify and understand enharmonic equivalents (notes that sound the same but are written differently).

- The Cycle of 5ths and the logic of key signatures. - All key signatures.

- How relative minors are formed also noting their raised 7ths or leading notes. - Why double sharps are essential!

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We have looked at the Major and Minor intervals. Just to recap they are the 2nd_{, 3}rd_{, 6}th _{and 7}th_.

Remember:

The Minor 2nd _{is a semitone}

The Major 2nd _{is a tone.}

The Major 3rd_{, 6}th _{and 7}th _{follow the example of their intervals above the keynote in}

a Major Scale.

The Minor 3rd_{, 6}th _{and 7}th _{follow the example of their intervals above the keynote in}

a Minor Scale.

All the rest – that is, the Octave, Unison, 4th _{and 5}th _{are described as}

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The Octave, Unison, 4th _{and 5}th _{are described as PERFECT intervals.}

This is because those intervals are EXACTLY THE SAME above the keynote in BOTH the Major and Minor scales.

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INTERVALS WIDER THAN AN OCTAVE

Once we get intervals wider than an octave, they can be described two ways.

They can either be described as an interval larger than an octave, eg. a 10th _{or 15}th_,

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AUGMENTED AND DIMINISHED INTERVALS.

Every interval, be it Major, Minor or Perfect may have an ‘augmented’ or ‘diminished’ version of itself.

Just a quick reminder first:

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AUGMENTED AND DIMINISHED INTERVALS.

Augmented

Major

Minor

Diminished

Augmented

Perfect

Diminished

Each interval is widened by a semitone.

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The final interval to mention in depth is the Diminished 5th _{or Augmented 4}th_.

They are written differently but sound the same. More on that shortly…

This interval is also known as the ‘Tritone’, simply because it contains three whole tones. In Western culture it is also known as the ‘Devil’s interval’, and was for many centuries forbidden for use by church musicians.

It features in many horror movie scores as well as in many ominous pieces such as ‘Danse Macabre’ by Saint-Saens.

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You may have noticed that the Augmented 4th _{sounds exactly the same as the}

Diminished 4th_{. Now, although according to the Pythagorean scale they do not sound}

the same (that’s an entirely different lecture,) to us with our modern keyboard

instruments and mathematical compromises to make each key sound similar, they are the same to our ears and to our piano fingers.

However, the fact they are written differently is still really important. The ‘musical grammar’ of the two intervals is still different.

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And here’s one more illustration of ‘enharmonic equivalents’:

Django Bates – Interval Song!

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Major and Minor Keys – the quick guide! Here are the most common:

- Major keynotes and tonic triads on the Treble Stave.

- Relative Minor keynotes and tonic triads (with raised leading notes in brackets) on the Bass Stave.

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Major and Minor Keys – the quick guide! Here are the most common:

- Major keynotes and tonic triads on the Treble Stave.

- Relative Minor keynotes and tonic triads (with raised leading notes in brackets) on the Bass Stave.

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Major and Minor Keys – the quick guide!

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Let us now look at the way that scales are constructed.

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Now for the harmonic minor scale. Look carefully at the pattern of tones and semitones. What is the name for the interval between the 6th _{and 7}th_?

Here is a basic A minor scale with only a G# for an accidental.

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Good! So, the next step is to note what happens once we get plenty of sharps in the key signature.

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Now let us return to note-recognition. But there will be a little twist….

G Eb B C# G A

Bb

Ab

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C F

G Eb B G# E Db

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C _E G C Eb G F# D

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These tenor clefs are both exactly the same as the treble clef only down an octave so they should be fairly easy now.

G C A

B E B A G

G D C#

G# C#

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Finally, back to some easier note and interval recognition… Harmonic intervals…

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