Beginner Bass Base: Introduction To Intervals

A lesson on intervals on the bass and how to identify them

Beginner Bass Base: Introduction To Intervals

A lesson on intervals on the bass and how to identify them

If you’ve ever wanted to “take the 5th,” wondered if the 4th was really “with you,” or perhaps thought that the difference between a minor 3rd and a major 3rd is age (with the minor being younger), then it may be time to have a talk about intervals. Intervals in music refer to the distance between any two notes in chords and scales. Take the C major scale, for example (Ex. 1): The notes in this scale are C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In order to find the interval designation between C (the root) and any of the other notes in the scale, you simply count the letters, starting with the C being “one” and continuing until you reach your destination letter: C to D is a 2nd (Ex. 2); C to E is a 3rd (Ex. 3) ; C to F is a 4th (Ex. 4) ; C to G is a 5th (Ex. 5); C to A is a 6th (Ex. 6); C to B is a 7th (Ex. 7) ; and C to C is an 8th or octave (Ex. 8) . Note that in these examples, the diamond shape is the root, the solid dot is the interval, and the broken circles are the other notes
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