📏 Musical Intervals
The building blocks of chords and scales. An interval is the distance between two notes.
| Semitones | Name | Short | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Unison | P1 | Perfect |
| 1 | Minor 2nd | m2 | Minor |
| 2 | Major 2nd | M2 | Major |
| 3 | Minor 3rd | m3 | Minor |
| 4 | Major 3rd | M3 | Major |
| 5 | Perfect 4th | P4 | Perfect |
| 6 | Tritone | TT | Augmented/Diminished |
| 7 | Perfect 5th | P5 | Perfect |
| 8 | Minor 6th | m6 | Minor |
| 9 | Major 6th | M6 | Major |
| 10 | Minor 7th | m7 | Minor |
| 11 | Major 7th | M7 | Major |
| 12 | Octave | P8 | Perfect |
Understanding Intervals
Perfect Intervals
Unison, 4th, 5th, and octave. These have a pure, stable sound and are the most consonant.
Major Intervals
2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 7th. Bright, happy quality. One semitone larger than their minor counterparts.
Minor Intervals
2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 7th. Darker, sadder quality. One semitone smaller than their major counterparts.
Tritone
Exactly 6 semitones — the most dissonant interval. Also called the "devil's interval." Divides the octave in half.