Hearing Intervals 

During lessons, you’ve probably heard words like: intervals, and ear training. But what exactly do they mean?

Interval: the distance between two notes. Always count your first note as 1. Ex: C to E is a 3rd because C is 1, D is 2, and E is 3.  Also, C to E has a unique sound. The way we recognize this unique sound comes from how we have trained our ears to hear the interval, or ear training.  Let’s dive in!

We’ve heard different intervals in our favorite nursery rhyme songs, so these will be our anchor tunes that help us figure out what to listen for. Let’s focus on pitches CDE.

C to D: Start by singing: The Happy  Birthday song. Focus on the words Happy and Bir- and you will hear C, C, D. Voila! There’s our interval of a 2nd.

C to E: Start by singing- Oh When the Saints Go Marching in. Focus on: Oh and When (C, E). This is our interval of a 3rd.

The more that we practice hearing, singing, and playing the intervals, the faster we will recognize them in everyday music. Why is this important? Intervals are the building blocks of melody, and hearing intervals will help with: creating music, hearing music more precisely, and learning written music from a different perspective.

– Amber Kuykendall, B. A., Piano Instructor