What is Interval (music)?
An '''interval''' in [[music]] means the [[distance]] between two [[note (music)|notes]] (whether these notes are played together or separately). [[File:Klaviatur-3-en.svg|300px|thumb|right|A musical keyboard]] Two notes on a [[Keyboard instrument|keyboard]] which are next to one another (counting both white and black notes) are a “semitone” apart. A “tone” is two semitones (see [[semitone]]). However, an “intervale” depends on how the notes are written (what they are called) e.g. whether the black note between D and E is written as D sharp or E flat (which are two different names for the same note). [[File:c_maj.png|400px|]] Please note that in all of the examples below, C is the lower note of the pair, and the other note is the next note of that name above it. So, the interval between a C and a B is only a major 7th if it is between a C and next B above it. ==Major and perfect intervals in the major scale== In a [[mode (music)|major]] scale there are eight notes e.g. a [[C major]] scale (see above) is: C D E F G A B C and down again. * The interval between C and D is a major 2nd (major second). * The interval between C and E is a major 3rd (major third) * The interval between C and F is a perfect 4th (perfect fourth) * The interval between C and G is a perfect 5th (perfect fifth) * The interval between C and A is a major 6th (major sixth) * The interval between C and B is a major 7th (major seventh) * The interval between C and C is a perfect 8th (perfect [[octave]]) ==Minor intervals== If a major interval is made smaller by a semitone it becomes [[mode (music)|minor]]: * The interval between C and D flat is a minor 2nd * The interval between C and E flat is a minor 3rd * The interval between C and A flat is a minor 6th * The interval between C and B flat is a minor 7th ==Diminished intervals== If a perfect interval becomes smaller by a semitone it becomes “diminished” * The interval between C and F flat is a diminished 4th * The interval between C and G flat is a diminished 5th If a major interval