Identifying Intervals by Ear
Since all melodies are made up of a series of intervals, you need to be able to identify intervals by ear and then reproduce them at will with your voice. If you can sing something accurately, it means you are hearing it accurately. Here are some ways of improving your ability to identify and reproduce intervals. The first two exercises both use a minor 3rd, but it is essential to go through these processes with all intervals.
Intervals Exercise 1.
Choose an interval you wish to work on (e.g., minor 3rds). Play any starting note (e.g., C) on a keyboard (or guitar) and sing it. Then sing the name of the note which is a minor 3rd up from that note (Eb). Hold the note with your voice while you test its accuracy on the keyboard. Then choose another starting note and repeat the process. Keep doing this until you are accurate every time. The next step is to sing the interval (in this case a minor 3rd) downwards from your starting note. Again, do this repeatedly until you are accurate every time.
Intervals Exercise 2.
Sing the same interval consecutively upwards and then downwards several times. E.g., start on C and sing a minor 3rd up from it (Eb). Then sing a minor 3rd up from Eb (Gb). Then another minor third up from Gb (B~ – which is enharmonically the same as A). Then up another minor 3rd (C an octave higher than the starting note). Once you can do this, reverse the process (start on C and sing a minor 3rd down to A, then another minor 3rd down and then another, etc.).
Intervals Exercise 3.
Play and sing a starting note (e.g., C) and then think of it as the first degree of the chromatic scale – sing "one". Now sing the flattened second degree of the scale – sing "flat two". This note is a minor 2nd up from your C note (a Db note). Then sing the C again ("one"). Then sing the second degree of the scale (a D note – sing "two"). Next, sing your C Note again ("one"). Continue in this manner all the way up the chromatic scale until you reach C an octave above. The entire sequence goes: 1, b2, 1, 2, 1, b3, 1, 3, 1, 4, 1, b5, 1, 5, 1, b6, 1, 6, 1, b7, 1, 7, 1, 8, 1. As with the previous exercises, once you can do this accurately (check your pitches on keyboard), reverse the process and sing downwards from the top of the scale, working your way down the chromatic scale again. The downward sequence goes 1(8), 7, 1, b7, 1, 6, 1, b6, 1, 5, 1,b5, 1, 4, 1, 3, 1, b3, 1, 2, 1, b2, 1, 1, 1(8).
Intervals Exercise 4.
As well as hearing intervals melodically (one note at a time), it is important to be able to hear them harmonically (two notes played together). A good way to develop this is to have a friend play random harmonic intervals on either guitar or keyboard while you identify them. Keep your back to the instrument while you do this, so that you cannot identify the intervals by sight.
It is important to work at these things regularly until they become easy. Do not get frustrated if you cannot hear intervals accurately at first. Most people have trouble with this. If you work at it for several months, you will see a dramatic improvement in your musical hearing, and will be able to improvise much more freely as well as being able to work out harmonies off recordings more easily.
As mentioned at the start of this lesson, intervals can be melodic or harmonic. Here are some examples of 3rd intervals written melodically in repetition on various pitches (a sequence) and harmonically (a melody harmonized in 3rds).
Write the following intervals above each note.
Write the correct name below each interval.
Here are some examples of harmonic intervals (two notes played together). Write the name of each interval above or below the notation and then sing them as melodic intervals. Make sure you are familiar with the sound of each interval.
For more practice with intervals, write and sing the intervals indicated above each of these notes.
