Have you ever wondered how musicians can play songs by ear, improvise solos, and write down the music they either hear in their head or on the radio?
The answer is they’re using a well-trained sense of relative pitch.
When I ask you to guess how far apart two objects are in a room you will answer with a number in metres and centimetres or maybe feet and inches. You are able to estimate because you know how long a centimetre or a metre is. You've developed a familiarity with a system of measurement which allows you to judge almost immediately how far apart the objects are from each other.
The ability to recognize intervals allows you to do the same but for the difference (or distance) in pitch between notes. Intervals are measured in semitones and tones and serve as the building blocks for scales and chords. Intervals come in either melodic form [one note followed by another] or harmonic form [both played at the same time]
The benefits of having this ability are better melodies, faster! You can hear a melody in your head or in a song and work out how to play it on the guitar much faster than by just trying out random notes until you find it.
Ok lets start with the PERFECT INTERVALS FIRST
The ability to recognize intervals allows you to do the same but for the difference (or distance) in pitch between notes. Intervals are measured in semitones and tones and serve as the building blocks for scales and chords. Intervals come in either melodic form [one note followed by another] or harmonic form [both played at the same time]
The benefits of having this ability are better melodies, faster! You can hear a melody in your head or in a song and work out how to play it on the guitar much faster than by just trying out random notes until you find it.
Ok lets start with the PERFECT INTERVALS FIRST
A PERFECT UNISON (P1)
A PERFECT UNISON is the same note played twice; there is NO distance between the notes at all. Take the song Jingle Bells. When you sing those words you are singing notes that are in perfect unison. Another good example is Mr Brightside by The Killers. The lead singer stays singing the same note all throughout the verse.
When the same note or melody is sung at the same time by two or more singers this is also singing in unison.
When the same note or melody is sung at the same time by two or more singers this is also singing in unison.
TEST - In the lesson I will play you a series of notes and you should repeat what I played by ear and name the note. At home you can hum a note at random and then try to find it on the guitar.
AN OCTAVE (P8)
An OCTAVE is the same note again but with double (or half) the frequency. When you play an open string it vibrates the whole length of the guitar (nut to saddle). When you hold down that same string on fret 12 (exactly halfway in the middle) you will hear the same note but an octave higher as the string vibrates with double the frequency
The best example to use that you should be familiar with is Over The Rainbow. Just sing the first 2 notes. "Some-WHERE" This is an octave and no matter what note you start with you should be able to sing the second note accurately.
Octaves on the guitar
Apart from playing 12 frets above any note you start with, here is a quick method to find octaves across the strings on your guitar. Any note on the E or A string will have its octave 2 strings across and 2 frets above. Any note on the D or G strings will have its octave 2 strings across and 3 frets above.
Guitar octaves in songs
Syncopated strummed octaves are a great texture to music and were used quite a lot in the disco music of the 70's. Check out this famous song to see what I mean. (It is a G# octave)
I Want You Back - Jackson 5
This famous guitar/bass intro is easy to play and as well as power chords (we will talk more about them later) it uses octaves too.
My Sharona - The Knack
Another example comes from the playing of Dave Grohl. This time however with the low D string droning underneath. Skip to 1:40 where the octaves first come in. C# - D - E - F# - G
Everlong - Foo Fighters
This forth example comes from Stevie Wonder. This awesome octave driven riff is a perfect way to practice.
Master Blaster - Stevie Wonder
TEST - In the lesson I will play you a series of notes and you should be able to hum the octave above and find it on the guitar. At home you can hum a note at random and then try to find it, and its octave on the guitar.
THE PERFECT 5TH (P5)
- 'Perfect' intervals refer to unison (P1), 4ths (P4), 5ths (P5), and Octaves (P8). These intervals are given the name “Perfect” because they stay the same, whether the key signature is Major or Minor.
The perfect 5th interval is most famously recognisable in the first 2 notes of the melody to the Star Wars theme. Play any note on the guitar and try to sing the note that should come next. On the guitar, you can find the 5th note much like you did with the octave but it it one string closer.
Chords that contain only the ROOT note and THE PERFECT 5th are called '5 chords' or more commonly 'POWER CHORDS'. Here are all the power chords on the bottom 2 strings.
Power chords in songs
This list would be HUGE. The Perfect 5th interval and power chords are so prevalent in most musical genres (most notably rock, punk, metal and pop) that you will encounter them in some form or another in almost every song you'll ever learn. But here are a few examples you can use
Ascending melody
[Twinkle / Twinkle] Little Star
[Baa Baa / Black Sheep]
I Can't Help Falling In Love With You - Elvis [Wise / Men]
Scarborough Fair - Simon & Garfunkel [Are you / going]
The bassline to Song For My Father
Descending melody
bassline intro to My Girl
The Flintstones - Theme Tune [Flint / stones]
Power chords
Famously the first power chord song every guitar player learns. It is interesting since the 5th note is under the root note instead of above it. This is called an inversion
Ascending melody
[Twinkle / Twinkle] Little Star
[Baa Baa / Black Sheep]
I Can't Help Falling In Love With You - Elvis [Wise / Men]
Scarborough Fair - Simon & Garfunkel [Are you / going]
The bassline to Song For My Father
Descending melody
bassline intro to My Girl
The Flintstones - Theme Tune [Flint / stones]
Power chords
Famously the first power chord song every guitar player learns. It is interesting since the 5th note is under the root note instead of above it. This is called an inversion
Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
Going from possibly the most simplistic and recognisable power chord riff to one of probably the most interesting and unique power chord progressions ever written
In Bloom - Nirvana
Finger Exercise using 5ths
This is a cool warm up I found by guitarist Dominik Miller. It is a chromatic exercise to get all your fingers moving. As he calls it Chromatic yoga!
Try doing one line at a time, the first 2 are easiest. 3rd and 4th line are a little harder. Doing ALL in one go is very difficult to master
Try doing one line at a time, the first 2 are easiest. 3rd and 4th line are a little harder. Doing ALL in one go is very difficult to master
Before we go any further, check out this video with Howard Goodall, (skip to 9:53 to hear the earliest use of unison chanting, adding an octave and harmonising with the 5th). This 'Story of Music' is well worth watching in its entirety
THE PERFECT 4TH (P4)
The perfect 4th interval is most famously recognisable in the first 2 notes of the melodies of Here Comes The Bride, O, Christmas Tree” and “Amazing Grace. Play any note on the guitar and try to sing the note that should come next. On the guitar, you can find the 4th note two semitones below the 5th.
Interestingly, in what is known as STANDARD TUNING the guitar itself is tuned in perfect 4ths (except between the G and the B string which is tuned to a major 3rd). If you would like to know WHY the guitar is tuned this way you can check out his article
http://hubguitar.com/music-theory/why-the-guitar-is-tuned-in-fourths
Chords that use the 4th degree of the scale INSTEAD of the (major or minor) 3rd are called sus4 chords, they are neither major OR minor because the 3rd has been replaced which gives the chord an ambiguous tonality.
http://hubguitar.com/music-theory/why-the-guitar-is-tuned-in-fourths
Chords that use the 4th degree of the scale INSTEAD of the (major or minor) 3rd are called sus4 chords, they are neither major OR minor because the 3rd has been replaced which gives the chord an ambiguous tonality.
THE MAJOR and minor 3rd (M3 & m3)
The major third is the note that makes any chord a major chord. It has a nice happy feeling associated with it and whenever I hear the melodic interval it reminds me of the first 2 notes of the Simpsons theme tune. You can also use Oh When The Saints [Oh / When] as a reference.
The minor third is the note that makes any chord a minor chord. It has a 'sad' or melancholic feeling associated with it. You can think of the first 2 notes of Smoke On The Water to help you recognise it
The minor third is the note that makes any chord a minor chord. It has a 'sad' or melancholic feeling associated with it. You can think of the first 2 notes of Smoke On The Water to help you recognise it
Where are they on the guitar?
Here's a little map to help you get started. The circled black notes represent ROOT NOTES, the solid black notes represent the MAJOR 3rd above the ROOT NOTE. If you lower the MAJOR 3rd by 1 semitone it them becomes a minor 3rd.
Now would be a great time to practice listening to major and minor chords to be sure you can distinguish between them.It would also be the perfect time to make sure you know how to play all the natural major and minor chords: A B C D E F G Am Bm Cm Dm Em Fm Gm
Test your ear for major and minor chords - https://tonedear.com/ear-training/chord-identification
(go to start quiz and deselect the augmented and diminished chords for now)
Test your ear for major and minor chords - https://tonedear.com/ear-training/chord-identification
(go to start quiz and deselect the augmented and diminished chords for now)
The MAJOR and minor 2nd (M2 & m2)
The major second interval is in the melody to Bruder Jakob/Frere Jacke. It is 1 tone (2 semitones) apart and can most easily be found 2 frets above your starting note
The minor second is most recognisably used in the theme tune to Jaws. The notes are just 1 semitones apart. When you hear it, hopefully you will recognise it immediately. It has an unsettling sound and is perfect for the tension needed for such an iconic movie moment.
The minor second is most recognisably used in the theme tune to Jaws. The notes are just 1 semitones apart. When you hear it, hopefully you will recognise it immediately. It has an unsettling sound and is perfect for the tension needed for such an iconic movie moment.
NOTES:
Intervals can be either Major, Minor, Augmented, Diminished, or Perfect.
Being able to identify note intervals is a very handy tool but how can you make it easier? Well here is a list of intervals and a song to help you remember them. [this part of the song]
P1 - Unison (same notes) - [Jingle Bells]
m2 - Minor 2nd - [Isn't] She Lovely - Stevie Wonder
M2 - Major 2nd - [Frere] Jacke / Bruder Jakob
m3 - Minor 3rd - (opening 2 guitar notes of) Smoke On The Water
M3 - Major 3rd - [Oh When] The Saints
P4 - Perfect 4th - [Here Comes] The Bride
A4/d5 - Tritone - [The Simp]sons
P5 - Perfect 5th - (first 2 notes of) Stars Wars Theme
m6 - Minor 6th - (first 2 notes of) Baker Street saxaphone solo
M6 - Major 6th - [My Bon]nie
m7 - Minor 7th - (first 2 notes of) Star Trek 60's Theme
M7 - Major 7th - [Take On] Me (Chorus)
P8 - Octave - [Somewhere] Over The Rainbow
Intervals can be either Major, Minor, Augmented, Diminished, or Perfect.
- Major and Minor intervals are the intervals created by the key signatures in Major or Minor Keys without any added augmentation or diminished tones.
- Augmented Intervals are wider by one semitone (half-step) than perfect or major intervals.
- Diminished Intervals are smaller by one semitone (half-step) than perfect or minor intervals.
- 'Perfect' intervals refer to unison (P1), 4ths (P4), 5ths (P5), and Octaves (P8). These intervals are given the name “Perfect” because they stay the same, whether the key signature is Major or Minor.
Being able to identify note intervals is a very handy tool but how can you make it easier? Well here is a list of intervals and a song to help you remember them. [this part of the song]
P1 - Unison (same notes) - [Jingle Bells]
m2 - Minor 2nd - [Isn't] She Lovely - Stevie Wonder
M2 - Major 2nd - [Frere] Jacke / Bruder Jakob
m3 - Minor 3rd - (opening 2 guitar notes of) Smoke On The Water
M3 - Major 3rd - [Oh When] The Saints
P4 - Perfect 4th - [Here Comes] The Bride
A4/d5 - Tritone - [The Simp]sons
P5 - Perfect 5th - (first 2 notes of) Stars Wars Theme
m6 - Minor 6th - (first 2 notes of) Baker Street saxaphone solo
M6 - Major 6th - [My Bon]nie
m7 - Minor 7th - (first 2 notes of) Star Trek 60's Theme
M7 - Major 7th - [Take On] Me (Chorus)
P8 - Octave - [Somewhere] Over The Rainbow
