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Intervals

All thirteen intervals from unison to octave, each with its size in semitones, a song that starts with it and a full listening guide. What Is an Interval? explains how the names work, from the number to major, minor and perfect.

  • 13 distances
  • 0 to 12 semitones
  • melodic or harmonic

related pages

Jump straight inPress the triangle to hear it, the name to read it
Stable intervals
Major and minor intervals
Close and tense intervals

All intervals from unison to octave

Use C as the lower note:

  • Unison: 0 semitones, C-C. Same pitch and letter name.
  • Minor Second: 1 semitone, C-D flat. Inverts to a major seventh.
  • Major Second: 2 semitones, C-D. Inverts to a minor seventh.
  • Minor Third: 3 semitones, C-E flat. Inverts to a major sixth.
  • Major Third: 4 semitones, C-E. Inverts to a minor sixth.
  • Perfect Fourth: 5 semitones, C-F. Inverts to a perfect fifth.
  • Tritone: 6 semitones, C-F sharp or C-G flat. Augmented fourth or diminished fifth.
  • Perfect Fifth: 7 semitones, C-G. Inverts to a perfect fourth.
  • Minor Sixth: 8 semitones, C-A flat. Inverts to a major third.
  • Major Sixth: 9 semitones, C-A. Inverts to a minor third.
  • Minor Seventh: 10 semitones, C-B flat. Inverts to a major second.
  • Major Seventh: 11 semitones, C-B. Inverts to a minor second.
  • Octave: 12 semitones, C-C. Same pitch class in the next register.

Which songs help you remember each interval?

Each row has a song that opens with the interval going up and, where a well-known one exists, a song where it goes down. Press the play button to hear just those two notes, then run the song in your head and listen for the same step. A few songs start a note later: in "Happy Birthday" the first two notes are the same pitch, and the major second arrives on the third note.

The tritone, minor seventh and major seventh going down have no song that most people know, so those cells stay empty. Sing the interval going up and then reverse it in your head.

  • Unison0 semitones
    Going up
    Jingle Bells (chorus)the first two notes, the same pitch twice
  • Minor Second1 semitone
    Going up
    Jaws themethe two notes that repeat at the start
    Going down
    Für Elisethe first two notes
  • Major Second2 semitones
    Going up
    Happy Birthdaythe second and third notes
    Going down
    Mary Had a Little Lambthe first two notes
  • Minor Third3 semitones
    Going up
    Greensleevesthe first two notes
    Going down
    Hey Judethe first two notes
  • Major Third4 semitones
    Going up
    When the Saints Go Marching Inthe first two notes
    Going down
    Swing Low, Sweet Chariotthe first two notes
  • Perfect Fourth5 semitones
    Going up
    Here Comes the Bridethe first two notes
    Going down
    Eine kleine Nachtmusikthe first two notes
  • Tritone6 semitones
    Going up
    The Simpsons themethe first two notes
    Going downNo well-known example
  • Perfect Fifth7 semitones
    Going up
    Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Starthe second and third notes
    Going down
    The Flintstones themethe first two notes
  • Minor Sixth8 semitones
    Going up
    The Entertainerthe third and fourth notes, the leap after the two quick opening notes
    Going down
    Love Story theme (1970 film)the first two notes
  • Major Sixth9 semitones
    Going up
    My Bonnie Lies Over the Oceanthe first two notes
    Going down
    The Music of the Nightthe first two notes
  • Minor Seventh10 semitones
    Going up
    Somewhere (West Side Story)the first two notes
    Going downNo well-known example
  • Major Seventh11 semitones
    Going up
    Take On Me (chorus)the first two notes of the chorus
    Going downNo well-known example
  • Octave12 semitones
    Going up
    Somewhere Over the Rainbowthe first two notes
    Going down
    Willow Weep for Methe opening leap

Which intervals are easiest to confuse?

Most wrong answers land one semitone away from the right one. A minor third and a major third start on the same note, and only the top note moves, by a single key. Play each pair below: the bottom note stays on C every time, so the only thing that changes is the top note.

The minor third next to the major third is the same difference that turns a major chord into a minor one. The perfect fourth, tritone and perfect fifth form a group of three: the fourth and the fifth sound settled, and the tritone between them sounds as if it wants to move to one of its neighbors.

How do intervals build scales and chords?

A scale can be described by steps between neighboring notes or intervals above its tonic.

A major triad contains a major third and perfect fifth above its root. A minor triad changes the third to minor.

Chord voicings create additional intervals between upper voices. Identify the root relationship and the sounding pair separately.

Where should a beginner start?

Begin with unison, octave, perfect fifth and the major and minor thirds.

Then add seconds and sevenths as inversion pairs. Compare fourth with fifth, and minor sixth with major third.

Learn the tritone after you can hear the neighboring perfect fourth and fifth.

Always compare intervals from one fixed root before transposing them. This isolates the distance you are learning. When you want to test yourself, Interval Ear Training starts with exactly this beginner set.

Stable intervals

Begin with distances that strongly reinforce a shared pitch center.

Major and minor intervals

Compare paired interval qualities that differ by one semitone.

Close and tense intervals

Hear seconds, sevenths and the tritone in melody and harmony.

Keep going

The other sections

Everything on this site sits in one of these, in the order they are meant to be learned.

The building blocks
How music works
In practice