Musical Intervals
An Interval is the distance between two notes. Think of them as the DNA of music. Every scale and chord is simply a specific combination of intervals.
Why Should You Care?
- Understand Chords: Knowing that a minor chord has a "Minor 3rd" (b3) instead of a "Major 3rd" (3) unlocks the whole fretboard.
- Improvise Better: Intervals help you understand which notes will sound "sweet" or "tense" over a backing track.
- Ear Training: Recognizing intervals by sound is the secret to playing by ear.
The Interval Map
| Interval | Frets | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect Unison (1) | 0 | The same note. |
| Minor 2nd (b2) | 1 | One fret distance. Sounds tense. |
| Major 2nd (2) | 2 | Two frets distance. A whole step. |
| Minor 3rd (b3) | 3 | Three frets. The 'sad' note in a minor chord. |
| Major 3rd (3) | 4 | Four frets. The 'happy' note in a major chord. |
| Perfect 4th (4) | 5 | Commonly used in blues and rock. |
| Tritone (#4/b5) | 6 | The most dissonant interval. |
| Perfect 5th (5) | 7 | The foundation of a Power Chord. |
| Minor 6th (b6) | 8 | A dark, classical sound. |
| Major 6th (6) | 9 | Bright and jazzy. |
| Minor 7th (b7) | 10 | The soulful note in a Dominant 7th chord. |
| Major 7th (7) | 11 | The dreamy note in a Major 7th chord. |
| Perfect Octave (8) | 12 | The same note, but 12 frets higher. |
Guitar Pro Tip
On most guitar strings, 12 frets is exactly one octave. If you're on the 3rd fret of the low E (a G), moving to the 15th fret will give you another G note an octave higher.
Visualize Intervals
See exactly where every interval sits on the neck using our Interactive Fretboard.
Explore the Fretboard