Ear Training: Songs to Practice Intervals

Songs to Memorize Intervals

Recognizing intervals is a fundamental skill for any musician, whether you're a producer, composer, or performer. Your ability to identify intervals can significantly accelerate your music production process and elevate your creative output.

Why interval recognition is important:

• Efficient music production: Quickly translate your musical ideas into sound.
• Enhanced improvisation: Spontaneously create melodic and harmonic lines.
• Accelerated learning: Learn new songs by ear more efficiently.
• Improved compositional skills: Write music with greater precision and intention.

The best and most fun way to learn interval recognition is to associate specific intervals with memorable songs. Here we’ll look at all intervals is western music, both ascending and descending, to help you identify intervals.

Songs to Memorize Ascending Intervals

Unison‍

The unison is the same note repeated. We hear it in the first two notes of the Happy Birthday song and at the start of the Beatles' classic “Let It Be”.

“The Happy Birthday Song”

“Let It Be” by The Beatles

Minor Second

The minor second, a half-step interval, is the smallest distance between two notes in Western music. Its distinctive sound is often associated with tension and dissonance due to the close proximity of the note notes.

There are a few very famous examples of this interval, both as ascending and descending which makes it easier to insantöy recognize.

Ascending Minor 2nd‍

The major second, a two-semitone interval, is a cornerstone of Western music. It's a versatile interval, capable of conveying both tension and resolution, depending on its musical context. Whether it's the bright, uplifting quality in a major scale or the driving force in a blues progression, the major second plays a significant role in shaping the emotional impact of music.

Major Second

Ascending Major 2nd‍

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Minor Third

The minor third is an important element in establishing the overall mood and character of a piece of music. It's particularly crucial in identifying key centers and recognizing different musical modes.

Ascending Minor 3rd‍

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Major Third

The major third is often characterized by its bright, consonant quality, adding clarity and stability to chords and melodies. Recognizing the major third is essential for understanding the harmonic structure of music.

Ascending Major 3rd‍

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Duff McKagan’s legendary bass riff starts in a Major Third interval in the intro.

Perfect Fourth

There’s no shortage of well-known perfect fourth intervals to help you remember the sound of it to quickly identify it.

Ascending Perfect 4th‍

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Perfect Fifth

The perfect fifth is recognized for its strong, resonant quality. Some of the most famous examples of the perfect fifth can be heard in film scores.

Ascending Perfect 5th

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Diminished Fifth/ Augmented Fourth/ Tritone

The minor seventh is often characterized by its dissonant, tension-inducing quality. While its use in modern pop and rock music is less common, it plays a significant role in genres like jazz, metal and film scores, where its ability to create tension and drama is highly valued.

‍Ascending Diminished 5th

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Legend has it that in the middle ages the tritone was considered"diabolus in musica"or"the devil in music"and was therefore banned for composers to use by the ruling church.

Minor Sixth

The minor sixth, a nine-semitone interval, is a versatile interval that can convey a wide range of emotions. It often possesses a melancholic or wistful quality, making it a popular choice for expressive melodies and harmonies.

Ascending Minor 6th‍

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Major Sixth

The major sixth, while a major interval, has a mournful quality to it.

Ascending Major 6th‍

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Minor Seventh

Ascending Minor 7th

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Major Seventh

Ascending Major 7th‍

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Octaves

Ascending Octave

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Songs to Memorize Descending Intervals

Minor Second

Descending Minor 2nd

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Major Second

Descending Major 2nd

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Minor Third

Descending Minor 3rd

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Opening notes: In D minor, F - D The first two words of the song are in a descending minor interval

Major Third

Descending Major 3rd

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One of the most well known openings in music history is a descending major third.

Perfect Fourth

Descending Perfect 4th

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‍Perfect Fifth

Descending Perfect 5th

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Diminished fifth/ Augmented fourth/ Tritone

Descending Diminished 5th

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Minor Sixth

Descending Minor 6th

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Major Sixth

Descending Major 6th

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Minor Seventh

Descending Minor 7th

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Major Seventh

Descending Major 7th

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Octave

Descending Octave

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Once you've become comfortable with recognizing ascending and descending two-note intervals, it's time to identify two notes playing at the same time.

This involves listening to two notes played together and identifying the interval between them. This skill is crucial for understanding chord progressions, harmonic structure, and the overall sonic landscape of music.

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