Level 5 (like Grade 5) · Unit 21 of 24

Every kind of interval

Augmented and diminished intervals, intervals below a note, and intervals from any note.

By the end you will be able to:

• name augmented and diminished intervals
• write intervals above and below any note
• spell intervals correctly, letter by letter

Learn

Augmented and diminished

Make a major or perfect interval one semitone bigger (same letters) and it is AUGMENTED: C–G♯ is an augmented 5th. Make a minor or perfect interval one semitone smaller and it is DIMINISHED: C–G♭ is a diminished 5th. The augmented 4th and diminished 5th are both called the tritone – three tones.

Spell by letters, then check by semitones

An interval’s number comes from the letters, so C–D♯ (a 2nd) and C–E♭ (a 3rd) sound the same but are different intervals. Write the letter first, then add the sharp or flat that gives the right number of semitones.

Intervals below

To write an interval below a note, count letters downwards (the given note is 1), then check the semitones: a major 3rd below E is C; a perfect 5th below D is G.

Your turn

Watch and listen, then practise with new questions every time – reading questions, and writing tasks you answer on the stave. Take the check when you are ready: 80% passes the unit.

Level 5 is like Grade 5 music theory. These are Classfern’s own levels, not an exam board’s. Questions are made and marked by rules in your browser.