Basic intervals in music

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Music theory is the main component of this art form, without which it is unrealistic to fully understand and comprehend all the facets of beauty. Understanding it is not as difficult as it might seem at first. The main thing is to learn all the components of this art. These include notorious intervals. There are 8 of them in music. However, these are the main combinations of sounds that fit within one octave, but in fact there are a little more of them.

Intervals in music are studied by a science called "solfeggio", and these basics are laid in the minds of very young musicians. This term in theory refers to a sequence that starts with the number 1 and ends with 8. The numerical indicator indicates the number of notes that the interval covers. And in order to understand this in more detail, we suggest considering specific examples and, of course, the list of intervals itself. It is also worth noting that intervals in music are pure, that is, one of a kind, and there are small and large ones among them.

So, number one in solfeggio is prima. An interval that consists of one note. On thein practice, it may sound like two consecutive sounds or as one continuous sound. It has no varieties, therefore it has the so-called “status” of pure. In sheet music for beginners, it is often defined as ch1, that is, “pure prima”.

Next music. the interval, which is equal to the number two, is called a second. Covers two adjacent notes and sounds rather sharp. A second can be small if nearby notes form a semitone with their sound, but if there is a whole tone between them, then it becomes large. In notes, they are designated as m2 and b2, respectively.

Small and large can also be a third, which symbolizes the number 3. This interval is part of the tonic triad, its beginning or end. It is he who determines the mode - major or minor. If a major third lies at the beginning of a triad, then it is characterized as a major one and sounds joyful. If this chord begins with a small interval, then it is minor and has a mysterious and slightly sad color. In notes, thirds are defined as b3 and m3.

As mentioned above, intervals in music are pure, that is, without the so-called "declensions". These include the fourth and the fifth. They are denoted by the numbers 4 and 5. The fourth has a somewhat strict and stable sound, and is also an introductory interval, because this is the distance between the fourth and first steps of any scale. Quinta is its complete opposite. Covering 5 steps in its range, it is, as it were, a bridge between the lowest and highest sound.tonic triad. Depending on what the middle step of such a chord will be, the mode will be determined - major or minor. In musical notation, you can find pure fourths and fifths, marked as ch4 and ch5.

They are followed by a sixth and a seventh. These are intervals that are large and small. Sexta (6) always has a beautiful and mysterious sound, it is with her that many songs begin (“A Christmas tree was born in the forest”, “Beautiful is far away”). A seventh, on the contrary, is perceived sharply by the ear. The small seventh is an excellent "bridge" into which other sounds can fit, forming a seventh chord of extraordinary beauty. The big one is usually used as an introductory interval in many classical works. On the staff you will find these sound combinations, marked as m6 and b6 for the sixth and m7 and b7 for the seventh.

The last interval - an octave - is indicated by the number 8. It represents the same sound, located only with a difference of one octave (for example, "to" a small octave and "to" the first). Referred to as ch8.

Many people are confused about what a musical interval is. The answer to this question is simple, you just need to open a textbook on solfeggio and delve into its essence.