Intervals
An interval is the distance between two notes, counted in frets on the guitar. It’s what the formulas on each page tell you, like “1, ♭3, 5” for a minor chord.
Half steps and whole steps
On the guitar, it’s simple: one fret = a half step, two frets = a whole step. Going up one fret on the same string means going up a half step.
The intervals to know
Every interval has a name and a number of half steps. Here are the ones you’ll find on the chord and scale pages, starting from C:
| Formula | Name | Half steps | From C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | 0 | C |
| 2 | second | 2 | D |
| ♭3 | minor third | 3 | E♭ |
| 3 | major third | 4 | E |
| 4 | fourth | 5 | F |
| ♭5 | diminished fifth | 6 | G♭ |
| 5 | fifth | 7 | G |
| 6 | sixth | 9 | A |
| ♭7 | minor seventh | 10 | B♭ |
| 7 | major seventh | 11 | B |
| 8 | octave | 12 | C |
The ♭ means “a half step lower”: ♭3 is the major third lowered by one fret.
Reading a formula
A formula tells you which notes make up a chord or a scale, counting from its root:
- 1, 3, 5: a major chord;
- 1, ♭3, 5: a minor chord—only the third changes;
- 1, 3, 5, ♭7: a seventh chord;
- 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7: the minor pentatonic.
Two shapes to spot on the neck
- The octave: from a note on the low E or A string, two strings over and two frets up.
- The fifth: from the low E, A or D string, on the next string, two frets up (one fret more from the G string, because of how the B string is tuned). That’s exactly the power chord shape: root and fifth.