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.[1] Such songs are known as "reference songs".[2] 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.[3]

Here are some examples for each interval:

0/unison
Steps/interval Ascending Descending
1/minor second

C↑C♯

C↓B
2/major second

C↑D

C↓B♭
3/minor third

C↑E♭

C↓A
4/major third

C↑E

C↓A♭
5/perfect fourth

C↑F

C↓G
6/tritone

C↑F♯

C↓F♯
7/perfect fifth

C↑G

C↓F
8/minor sixth

C↑A♭

C↓E
9/major sixth

C↑A

C↓E♭
10/minor seventh

C↑B♭

C↓D
11/major seventh

C↑B

C↓C♯
12/octave

C↑C

C↓C

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

  1. ^ Mayfield, Connie E. (2012). Theory Essentials, Volume I: An Integrated Approach to Harmony, Ear Training, and Keyboard Skills (2nd ed.). New York: Schirmer. pp. 50–51. ISBN 9781133713807.
  2. ^ Sutton, Christopher. "The Ultimate Guide to Interval Ear Training". Easy Ear Training. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  3. ^ Rogers, Michael (1983): "Beyond Intervals: The Teaching of Tonal Hearing", Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, (6):18-34
  4. ^ Samuel A. Ward. "America the Beautiful". Cantorion.
  5. ^ Traditional. "Hava Nagila". The Jews of Cuba.
  6. ^ James Lord Pierpont. "Jingle Bells". Cantorion.
  7. ^ Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle. "La Marseillaise" (PDF). mfiles.
  8. ^ Antônio Carlos Jobim. "One Note Samba". MuseScore.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg "Songs to learn musical intervals". EarMaster. EarMaster ApS. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Use Songs You Know to Learn Your Musical Intervals". Musical scales and chords. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  11. ^ Lowell Mason. "Joy to the World". IMSLP.
  12. ^ Ludwig van Beethoven. "Für Elise". IMSLP.
  13. ^ Traditional. "Frère Jacques". traditional-songs.com.
  14. ^ Franz Xaver Gruber. "Silent Night". Wikifonia. Archived from the original on 2013-06-02. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  15. ^ Rick Astley. "Never Gonna Give You Up". YouTube.
  16. ^ John W. Ivimey. Complete Version of ye Three Blind Mice. Project Gutenberg.
  17. ^ "The First Nowell". The Hymns and Carols of Christmas.
  18. ^ "Greensleeves". TradTunes.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-14. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  19. ^ "National Anthem: O Canada". Government of Canada. 6 October 2015.
  20. ^ 5 Lieder, Op. 49 (Brahms); 4. Wiegenlied (Berceuse): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
  21. ^ The Star-Spangled Banner: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
  22. ^ "Free Sheet Music: 'This Old Man' (Primer Level)" (PDF). Piano Pronto. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2014-08-03.
  23. ^ Violin Concerto in E major, RV 269 (Vivaldi): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
  24. ^ Swing Low, Sweet Chariot: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
  25. ^ Symphony No. 5, Op. 67 (Beethoven): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
  26. ^ "Don't You (Forget About Me)". Hal Leonard. Retrieved 10 November 2023 – via noteflight.com.
  27. ^ "Awesome Music / Giuseppe Verdi". tvtropes.org. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
  28. ^ Giuseppe Verdi; Francesco Maria Piave (1899). "3. Libiamo ne' lieti calici". La traviata. Translated by Natalie MacFarren. piano reduction by Berthold Tours. New York: G. Schirmer. p. 18.
  29. ^ Diamond, Neil (1969). "Sweet Caroline Sheet Music" (PDF). muhlsdk12.org. Retrieved 31 March 2023.

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