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Interval recognition

{{Short description|The ability to name and reproduce musical intervals}}Interval recognition, the ability to name and reproduce musical intervals, is an important part of ear training, music transcription, musical intonation and sight-reading.

Reference songs

Some music teachers teach their students relative pitch by having them associate each possible interval with the first interval of a popular song.{{cite book|last=Mayfield|first=Connie E.|year=2012|title=Theory Essentials, Volume I: An Integrated Approach to Harmony, Ear Training, and Keyboard Skills|edition=2nd|publisher=Schirmer|location=New York|isbn=9781133713807|pages=50–51|url={{Google books|id=0RYKAAAAQBAJ|plain-url=yes}}}} Such songs are known as "reference songs".{{cite web|last=Sutton|first=Christopher|title=The Ultimate Guide to Interval Ear Training|url=http://www.easyeartraining.com/learn/ultimate-guide-to-interval-ear-training/|publisher=Easy Ear Training|access-date=24 June 2016}} However, others have shown that such familiar-melody associations are quite limited in scope, applicable only to the specific scale-degrees found in each melody.Rogers, Michael (1983): "Beyond Intervals: The Teaching of Tonal Hearing", Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, (6):18-34

Here are some examples for each interval:

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0/unison

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! Steps/interval

! colspan=2|Ascending

! colspan=2|Descending

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| 1/minor second

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  • Theme of the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}
  • Theme from Jaws{{cite web|title=Songs to learn musical intervals|url=https://www.earmaster.com/products/free-tools/interval-song-chart-generator.html|website=EarMaster|publisher=EarMaster ApS|access-date=14 November 2016}}
  • "Nice Work If You Can Get It"
  • "Isn't She Lovely"
  • Ode to Joy (2nd and 3rd notes){{cite web|title=Use Songs You Know to Learn Your Musical Intervals|url=http://www.scales-chords.com/articles/Use-Songs-You-Know-to-Learn-Your-Musical-Intervals.html|website=Musical scales and chords|access-date=14 November 2016}}

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C{{arrow|up}}C{{music|#}}

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C{{arrow|down}}B

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| 2/major second

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  • "Frère Jacques"{{cite web|title=Frère Jacques|url=http://www.traditional-songs.com/frere_jacques.php|publisher=traditional-songs.com|author= Traditional|authorlink= Traditional}}
  • "Silent Night"{{cite web|title=Silent Night|url=http://www.wikifonia.org/node/202|publisher=Wikifonia|author=Franz Xaver Gruber|authorlink=Franz Xaver Gruber|access-date=2014-08-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602113335/http://www.wikifonia.org/node/202|archive-date=2013-06-02|url-status=dead}}
  • "Never Gonna Give You Up"{{cite web|title=Never Gonna Give You Up|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv5HmKomT7Y|publisher=YouTube|author= Rick Astley|authorlink= Rick Astley}}
  • "Strangers in the Night"
  • "Do-Re-Mi"

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C{{arrow|up}}D

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  • "Mary Had a Little Lamb"
  • "Three Blind Mice"'{{cite book|title=Complete Version of ye Three Blind Mice|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26060|publisher=Project Gutenberg|author= John W. Ivimey}}
  • "Satin Doll"
  • "The First Noel"{{cite web|last=|first=|title=The First Nowell|url=http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/first_nowell.htm|publisher=The Hymns and Carols of Christmas}}

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C{{arrow|down}}B{{music|b}}

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| 3/minor third

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C{{arrow|up}}E{{music|b}}

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  • "Hey Jude"
  • "The Star-Spangled Banner"{{IMSLP|cname=The Star-Spangled Banner|work=The Star-Spangled Banner (Smith, John Stafford)}}
  • "Frosty the Snowman"
  • "This Old Man"{{cite web|last=|first=|title=Free Sheet Music: 'This Old Man' (Primer Level)|url=http://pianopronto.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/2012_THIS_OLD_MAN.pdf|publisher=Piano Pronto|access-date=2014-08-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808130019/http://pianopronto.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/2012_THIS_OLD_MAN.pdf|archive-date=2014-08-08|url-status=dead}}
  • "Can We Fix It?" from Bob the Builder

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C{{arrow|down}}A

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| 4/major third

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C{{arrow|up}}E

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C{{arrow|down}}A{{music|b}}

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| 5/perfect fourth

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C{{arrow|up}}F

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C{{arrow|down}}G

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| 6/tritone

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C{{arrow|up}}F{{music|#}}

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C{{arrow|down}}F{{music|#}}

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| 7/perfect fifth

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C{{arrow|up}}G

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C{{arrow|down}}F

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| 8/minor sixth

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C{{arrow|up}}A{{music|b}}

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C{{arrow|down}}E

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| 9/major sixth

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C{{arrow|up}}A

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C{{arrow|down}}E{{music|b}}

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| 10/minor seventh

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C{{arrow|up}}B{{music|b}}

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C{{arrow|down}}D

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| 11/major seventh

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C{{arrow|up}}B

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  • "I Love You"
  • “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Nat King Cole)”
  • "Maybe"

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C{{arrow|down}}D{{music|b}}

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| 12/octave

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C{{arrow|up}}C

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C{{arrow|down}}C

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In addition, there are various solmization systems (including solfeggio, sargam, and numerical sight-singing) that assign specific syllables to different notes of the scale. Among other things, this makes it easier to hear how intervals sound in different contexts, such as starting on different notes of the same scale.

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{Commons category-inline|Audio files of musical intervals}}

{{Ear training}}

Category:Music-related lists

Category:Ear training

Category:Intervals (music)