There are more reliable, faster and easier methods to identify and construct intervals than counting whole and half steps. This animation will
let you explore some of them. A brief description of each one:
- Scales - if you know the major and minor scales in your instrument, you can use scales to identify intervals. For example: from D to A, we have a perfect fifth because they are the first and fifth notes of the D major and D minor scales. If the A is sharp, the interval gets bigger and becomes augmented. If the A is flat, the interval gets smaller and becomes diminished.
- Chords - if you know the basic chords in your instrument (or the arpeggios), you can use chords to identify some intervals. For example, we have a perfect fifth from D to A because they are the root and fifth of the D major and D minor chords. If the A is sharp, the interval gets bigger and becomes augmented. If the A is flat, the interval gets smaller and becomes diminished.
- Inversion - This method is handy to work with big intervals like the sixth and the seventh since, after inversion, they become thirds and seconds. Isn't it easier to identify a second than a seventh? See Inversion and Identifying by Using Inversions for
more information.
Scales: from the first note to the second note of any major or minor scale, we have a major second.
![](../../../res/images/tutorials/intervals/2-escalas.PNG)
Chords: from the root of any major chord to its third, we have a major third. In the case of minor chords, the third is minor.
![](../../../res/images/tutorials/intervals/3-acordes.PNG)
Scales: from the first note to the third note of any major scale, we have a major third. From the first note to the third note of any minor scale, we have a minor third.
![](../../../res/images/tutorials/intervals/3-escalas.PNG)
Scales: from the first to the fourth note of any major or minor scale, we have a perfect fourth.
![](../../../res/images/tutorials/intervals/4-escalas.PNG)
Chords: from the root to the fifth of any major or minor chord, we have a perfect fifth.
![](../../../res/images/tutorials/intervals/5-acordes.PNG)
Scales: from the first to the fifth note of any major or minor scale, we have a perfect fifth.
![](../../../res/images/tutorials/intervals/5-escalas.PNG)
Inversion: a sixth inverts into a third. We invert an interval by raising its lower note one octave. Major intervals become minor, minor intervals major, perfect intervals remain perfect, augmented intervals become diminished and diminished intervals become augmented.
![](../../../res/images/tutorials/intervals/6-inversion.PNG)
Scales: from the first note to the sixth note of any major scale, we have a major sixth. In minor scales the sixth from the first to the sixth note is minor.
![](../../../res/images/tutorials/intervals/6-escalas.PNG)
Chords: from the root to the seventh of any major seventh chord, we have a major seventh. From the root to the seventh of any dominant seventh chord, we have a minor seventh.
![](../../../res/images/tutorials/intervals/7-acordes.PNG)
Scales: from the first note to the seventh note of any major scale, we have a major seventh. In minor natural scales, the seventh from the first to the seventh note is minor.
![](../../../res/images/tutorials/intervals/7-escalas.PNG)
Inversion: a seventh inverts into a second. We invert an interval by raising its lower note one octave. Major intervals become minor, minor intervals major, perfect intervals remain perfect, augmented intervals become diminished and diminished intervals become augmented.
![](../../../res/images/tutorials/intervals/7-inversion.PNG)