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This lesson is about understanding how these
whole step and half step
intervals build scales - a sequence of notes.
This lesson will prove valuable even if you haven't learned any scales
yet, as many scales use the same interval relationships, and you'll
transfer this knowledge over when the time comes. It's a good primer in
that respect.
Identifying
guitar
scale intervals
While whole and half step intervals are essentially the smallest
building blocks of scales, it's also important to learn intervals
larger than a whole step.
For example, a major 3rd
interval
is made up of two
whole steps. These larger intervals play an important part in scale and
chord theory. They are responsible for creating harmony and melody.
Here is the complete list of guitar scale intervals you will come
across as
you learn different scales. Each interval listed is in relation to a root note
or "starting note". So to create the interval, simply start on any note
and move up to the degree specified. The interval relationship is the
same no matter which note you start on.
Try
playing between the two notes of the interval to train your ear to the
sound it creates. Given enough time, this will develop into what is
known as relative pitch
recognition - a very beneficial musical aid to have at
your disposal!
Minor
2nd
interval
Exactly the same as a half step/semitone interval. Abbreviated as b2 (flat 2nd) when
part of a scale.
Root
note on E string
Root
note on A string
Root
note on D string
Root
note on G string
Root
note on B string
Root
note on e string
Major 2nd
interval
Exactly the same as a whole step interval/two semitones. Abbreviated
simply as 2.
Root
note on E string
Root
note on A string
Root
note on D string
Root
note on G string
Root
note on B string
Root
note on e string
Minor 3rd
interval
One and a half steps/three semitones. Abbreviated as b3
(flat 3rd). This is the tone that gives a scale a minor flavour. The
diagrams below show how the interval appears on the same string as the root
and on the adjacent strings. Same interval, different positions!
Root
note on E string
Root
note on A string
Root
note on D string
Root
note on G string
Root
note on B string
Root
note on e string
Major 3rd
interval
Two whole steps/four semitones. Abbreviated as 3.
This is the tone that gives a scale a major
flavour. Remember, the interval on the G-B string looks different
because of the different tuning interval of the G-B string in standard
tuning.
Root
note on E string
Root
note on A string
Root
note on D string
Root
note on G string
Root
note on B string
Root
note on e string
Perfect 4th
interval
Two and a half steps/five semitones. Abbreviated as 4.
Root
note on E string
Root
note on A string
Root
note on D string
Root
note on G string
Root
note on B string
Root
note on e string
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Notes Master for a more entertaining way to learn intervals.
Augmented 4th
/ Diminished 5th interval
Three whole steps/six semitones. Often called the "tritone" because of
these 3 steps.
This can be abbreviated #4
or b5
depending on the context. We'll look more at this in the individual
scale lessons. Just know at this stage that it's the same interval.
Root
note on E string
Root
note on A string
Root
note on D string
Root
note on G string
Root
note on B string
Root
note on e string
Perfect 5th
interval
Three and a half steps/seven semitones. Abbreviated as 5.
Root
note on E string
Root
note on A string
Root
note on D string
Root
note on G string
Root
note on B string
Root
note on e string
Augmented 5th
/ Minor 6th interval
Four whole steps/eight semitones. Abbreviated as #5
or b6 (same
tone, different context, which you'll learn about in time).
Root
note on E string
Root
note on A string
Root
note on D string
Root
note on G string
Root
note on B string
Root
note on e string
Major 6th interval
Four and a half steps/nine semitones. Abbreviated as 6. Although in the
second row of diagrams the interval is descending from the root note,
it's still a major 6th interval because of the relationship between the
two notes.
Root
note on E string
Root
note on A string
Root
note on D string
Root
note on G string
Root
note on B string
Root
note on e string
Minor 7th
interval
Five whole steps/ten semitones. Most often abbreviated as b7 (flat 7th). Best
visualised as a whole step down
from the root.
Root
note on E string
Root
note on A string
Root
note on D string
Root
note on G string
Root
note on B string
Root
note on e string
Major 7th
interval
Five and a half steps/eleven semitones. Abbreviated as 7
in scales. Best visualised as a half step/semitone down from the root.
Root
note on E string
Root
note on A string
Root
note on D string
Root
note on G string
Root
note on B string
Root
note on e string
Another semitone up from the major 7th and you're back at the root.
So, in total, we have 12
semitones that provide us with the guitar scale interval
relationships
above.
You
should get to know how each of these intervals sound. Most musicians
at advanced stages know the sound of these intervals (known as
relative pitch).
The root
note defines which note the interval is related to. If the
root note lies on the note G,
for example, that means a minor 3rd interval would create a G minor interval.
The root note is our "starting note" in a given scale to which all the
intervals of the scale are measured.
If we were to lay out the above intervals across one string (any
string), with the open string representing the root note (1),
this is what we'd get...
Every scale you will learn on guitar will use different combinations of
those intervals.
If
you look at the major scale "boxed" pattern below, you can see how some
of these intervals provide the building blocks of that particular
scale...
So
by identifying the root notes of the scale, we can see the interval
relationships we learned above appearing across the 6 strings.
As
you move on to learning scales, and you encounter different intervals,
your visual and auditory sense for these intervals will gradually
improve.
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