Intervals in Major and Minor Keys

Intervals in Major and Minor Keys

Chapter 6

Intervals in Major Keys

If you write out a major scale and create an interval from scale degree 1 to every other scale degree, you will create the same intervals no matter what major key you are in. Let's prove it with the next slide.

Write a C major scale. Then, write C beneath each note.

Intervals: Major Key

What intervals have we created between each member of the scale? Remember to ask yourself if the higher note "fits" the major key of the lower note. Also, remember that unisons, fourths, and fifths are either perfect, diminished, or augmented while seconds, thirds, sixths, and sevenths are either major, minor, augmented, or diminished.

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The diatonic intervals in the key of C major (remember: diatonic means it sticks to the notes in the key)

Okay but...

So that works for the key of C major, but what about another key? The notes will be different, but the distance between each note in the scale will be the same. Therefore, the intervals will be the same.

The diatonic intervals in the key of F major

The diatonic intervals in the key of B major

Intervals: Major Keys

Notice that every interval found in a major key based on scale degree 1 is either a perfect interval or a major interval.

Multiple Select

Which of the following are the two interval qualities that can be formed if scale degree 1 is the lowest note in a major key?

• diminished

• major

• minor

• augmented

• perfect

Intervals in a Minor Key

We can apply the same information to our minor keys. If you write out a natural minor scale and create an interval from scale degree 1 to every other scale degree, you will create the same intervals no matter what minor key you are in. Let's prove it with the next slide.

Write a C natural minor scale. Then, write C beneath each note.

Intervals: Minor Keys

What intervals have we created between each member of the scale? Remember to ask yourself if the higher note "fits" the major key of the lower note (even though we are in a minor key). Also, remember that unisons, fourths, and fifths are either perfect, diminished, or augmented while seconds, thirds, sixths, and sevenths are either major, minor, augmented, or diminished.

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The diatonic intervals in the key of C minor (remember: diatonic means it sticks to the notes in the key)

Intervals: Minor Keys

Just like with our major keys, we can expect these same intervals in any minor key. The notes will be different, but the distance between each note in the scale will be the same. Therefore, the intervals will be the same. Compare the intervals used in B minor, C# minor, and C minor on the right.

Intervals: Minor Keys

Notice that all of the intervals are either perfect, major, or minor. The modal scale degrees (b3, b6, and b7) overlap with where the changes from major to minor intervals occur.

Multiple Select

Which of the following are the three interval qualities that can be formed if scale degree 1 is the lowest note in a minor key?

• diminished

• major

• minor

• augmented

• perfect

Augmented and Diminished Intervals

In both the major and minor key examples, no augmented or diminished intervals occurred when creating intervals based on scale degree 1. To create augmented and diminished intervals, you must look outside the key by adding accidentals.

Harmonic Minor

Remember when we learned about the harmonic minor scale and we said there was an augmented second (A2) between b6 and 7, le and ti? Now that we have covered intervals, this should make sense. In the A harmonic minor example below, b7 is raised to 7 (G to G#). This turns the interval of A to G# from a m7 to a M7. More importantly, it changes the distance from le to ti (F to G#) to an A2.

Open Ended

What questions do you have?