Interval Qualities
This lesson shows you which qualities each interval can take: diminished, minor, major, perfect or augmented.
Two intervals with the same name aren't necessarily the same size. From C to E is a third. From C# to E, or from C# to Eb, is still a third, since each one spans three letter names. Yet listen: these three thirds don't sound alike, because the actual distance is different.
To state the exact size, we add a quality to the interval's name: diminished, minor, major, perfect or augmented.
Table of qualities
| Interval | Possible qualities |
|---|---|
| Second | diminished, minor, major, augmented |
| Third | diminished, minor, major, augmented |
| Fourth | diminished, perfect, augmented |
| Fifth | diminished, perfect, augmented |
| Sixth | diminished, minor, major, augmented |
| Seventh | diminished, minor, major, augmented |
| Octave | diminished, perfect, augmented |
Look at the table and you'll see two families. Fourths, fifths and octaves have a “perfect” form, flanked by diminished and augmented. Seconds, thirds, sixths and sevenths have two central forms, minor and major, also flanked by diminished and augmented.
Once in a while, you'll meet even smaller or larger intervals. A doubly diminished interval is one chromatic half step smaller than the diminished one, and a doubly augmented interval is one chromatic half step larger than the augmented one. They only arise from chromatic notes.
- Steps
- 5 letter names, from C4 to G4
- Make-up
- 3 whole steps and 1 diatonic half step
- Half steps
- 7 half steps on a keyboard
- Inversion
- perfect fourth
- Type
- perfect consonance
From memory, write out the table of qualities that belong to each interval, from the second to the octave.
You now know the names of the qualities. In the next lesson, let's see exactly how each one is built from whole steps and half steps.