One of the ways to fight ‘patterns’ playing is to explore all the intervals you can find in a scale. It is a really easy concept you can apply to ANY scale. This is also a great exercise for your chops. Try to practice more with your ears than your fingers…enough said. If applied to soloing every interval has a specific ‘color’ or ‘sound’. Many styles are based around that color, just watch the video and you will understand.
Printable PDF: Scale in Intervals
Printable PDF: Intervals explained
An interval is the distance between two notes, and it is indicated by ordinal numbers (2nd, 5th , 7th) except when describing the unison (identity of pitch) and the octave (two notes 12 semitones apart).
Intervals of a 2nd ,3rd ,6th ,7th are called major.
Intervals of a 4th ,5th and octave are called perfect.
If a major interval is raised by a half step it is called augmented. If a major interval is lowered by a half step it is called minor. If lowered by two half steps, diminished.
If a perfect interval is raised by a half step it is called augmented. If a perfect interval is lowered by a half step it is called diminished (note the difference).
There are two basic ways to calculate an interval, that will lead to the same result.
1. Calculating by the number of half steps between the two notes:
|
N.of halfsteps |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
6 also |
7 |
8 |
8 also |
9 |
10 |
10 also |
11 |
12 |
|
Interval |
m2 |
M2 |
m3 |
M3 |
P4 |
4aug |
5dim |
P5 |
5aug |
m6 |
M6 |
6aug |
m7 |
M7 |
P8 |
|
Example |
C Db |
C D |
C Eb |
C E |
C F |
C F# |
C Gb |
C G |
C G# |
C Ab |
C A |
C A# |
C Bb |
C B |
C2 C3 |
where m=minor, M=major, P=perfect, dim=diminished, aug=augmented.
2. Finding the interval from the major scale. All the intervals from the tonic of a major scale to any other note of that scale are major or perfect (i.e. between C and D=major2nd, C e E=major3rd, C e F=perfect4rth, and so on…). Of course you need to know your major scales!!