Intervals

Counting in frets

An interval is the distance between two notes. On one string, you count it in frets, so in half steps:

The four intervals in bold are enough to build all the common chords. The Intervals page covers them all in detail.

Playing them on two strings

Counting twelve frets on a single string takes a while. On two neighboring strings (except between G and B), each interval has its own shape, always the same. Start from C, on the A string at the 3rd fret:

• major third: one string up, one fret lower (E, D string, 2nd fret);

e|-------|
B|-------|
G|-------|
D|---2-2-|
A|-3---3-|
E|-------|

• minor third: one string up, two frets lower (E♭, 1st fret);

e|-------|
B|-------|
G|-------|
D|---1-1-|
A|-3---3-|
E|-------|

• fifth: one string up, two frets higher (G, 5th fret). That’s the power chord shape;

e|-------|
B|-------|
G|-------|
D|---5-5-|
A|-3---3-|
E|-------|

• octave: two strings up, two frets higher, the shape you already know.

e|-------|
B|-------|
G|---5-5-|
D|-------|
A|-3---3-|
E|-------|

Between the G and B strings, the tuning changes: you have to move one fret further for the same interval. That’s why chord and scale shapes “shift” on the B string.

Hearing them

Your ear learns by comparison. Play each example several times, singing both notes.

1. Major or minor third? Listen to both, one after the other. The major sounds bright, the minor darker: that’s exactly the difference between a major chord and a minor chord.
2. Fifth or octave? The fifth sounds “hollow” but different; the octave sounds like the same note.
3. The test: ask someone to play one of the four intervals without telling you which (or play them yourself with your eyes closed, in a random order) and name it.

A musicians’ trick: link each interval to the opening of a melody you know. For example, fanfares often open with a fifth; find your own reference points.

You’ve got it when…

• You know how many half steps make a minor third, a major third, a fifth and an octave
• You play these four intervals on two strings from any note on the low strings
• You can tell a major third from a minor third, and a fifth from an octave, by ear 4 times out of 5