Zoë Blade's notebook

Interval

The distance between any two pitches is known as their interval.

The most common names of intervals are:[1]

Distance in semitones Interval name
0 Unison
1 Minor 2nd
2 Major 2nd
3 Minor 3rd
4 Major 3rd
5 Perfect 4th
6 Augmented 4th / Diminished 5th
7 Perfect 5th
8 Minor 6th
9 Major 6th
10 Minor 7th
11 Major 7th
12 Perfect 8ve (octave)

For example, C and G are 7 semitones apart, making their interval a perfect fifth.

Some of these intervals have additional names, depending on their context.

References

  1. The AB Guide to Music Theory Eric Taylor, 1990, ISBN 1-85472-446-0, pp. 46—51

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