Course: Intervals
Learn the fundamental building blocks of music, and where to find interval shapes on the guitar.
Intervals are the bricks in the foundation of music. They may be the smallest possible chunks of musical study. Intervals describe the difference in pitch between two notes.
One note by itself has no significant meaning. But two notes can evoke feelings, based on their relationship to each other. This relationship is called an interval.
Intervals are responsible for the way music sounds, and how it makes us feel. Each interval has its own unique and colorful character, each evokes different feelings, and each plays a crucial role in harmony.
The lessons in this course present a character study of each interval, along with a map to find them on the fretboard, and exercises to help memorize and internalize them.
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Unisons
Find the same identical pitch all over the fretboard.
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Octaves
The basic miracle of music.
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Seconds
The building blocks of scales.
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Thirds
The building blocks of chords.
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Fifths and Fourths
The most universal musical sounds across cultures and throughout history.
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Sixths
Expressive, airy, inside-out cousins of the thirds.
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Sevenths
The color and tension of seventh chords and the leading tone.
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Tritones
The most dissonant interval and the core of dominant seventh chords.
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All Intervals
A concise list of diagrams for all playable interval shapes.
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Outro
Wrapping up a few odds and ends.
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Appendix
Some background information that may be helpful.