Music Theory
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Intervals
What is an Interval?
Intervals are simply the space between two notes. There are five main types of intervals: diminished, minor, perfect, major, and augmented. The two most important intervals for beginner music theory are minor and major.
Major Intervals
Major intervals occur when the distance between two notes matches the interval distances found in a major scale. To determine if an interval is major, look at the bottom note (the root) and check the top note to see if it appears in the major scale of the bottom note. If it does, the interval is major.
Count the letter names, including the starting and ending notes, to determine the space between the notes. For example, from C to E is a major third because E is the third note in the C major scale.
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Minor Intervals
Major intervals occur when the distance between two notes matches the interval distances found in a major scale. To determine if an interval is major, look at the bottom note (the root) and check the top note to see if it appears in the major scale of the bottom note. If it does, the interval is major.
Count the letter names, including the starting and ending notes, to determine the space between the notes. For example, from C to E is a major third because E is the third note in the C major scale.
Perfect
Perfect intervals occur when the distance between two notes is a fourth, fifth, or octave in the major scale, starting from the bottom note (scale degree 1). To determine if an interval is perfect, check the bottom note and see if the top note falls within the major scale of that note. The key is that it must be a fourth, fifth, or octave—these are the only intervals that can be classified as perfect.
For example, from C to G is a fifth, and since the key of C has no sharps or flats, this is a perfect fifth. Likewise, from C to F is a fourth, and because F is part of the C major scale, this forms a perfect fourth. Moving from C to the next C forms a perfect octave since the interval spans an exact octave with no alterations.
Here is a PDF that can help you learn what chords go with what key
Treble Clef
The Basics
The treble clef (sometimes called the "right-hand notes" when learning piano) is the top line of the grand staff. If you are playing instruments such as violin, flute, or trumpet, only the treble clef will be used.
There are a couple of ways of memorizing the notes of the treble clef. Below are some helpful sayings!
I also teach my students to identify landmarks when learning notes. A key landmark for the treble clef is that the "circle" of the clef represents the note G. Understanding this can help students learn the notes more quickly and easily.
How To Draw a Treble Clef
Whole Steps & Half Steps
The Basics
A whole step and a half step describe the distance between two notes:
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Half Step (Semitone): This is the shortest distance between two notes in Western music. If looking at a piano, a half step is the distance from one key to the very next key, whether it's black or white. For example, from C to C♯ (black key) or E to F (both white keys).
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Whole Step (Whole Tone): This distance is made up of two half steps. Another way of thinking about it is that there is a note in the middle. For example, on a piano, a whole step from C would be D (C to C♯ is one half step, and C♯ to D is another half step). There's always a note in between.
In other words, a whole step skips one note (chromatically speaking), whereas a half step moves directly to the next note.
Whole and Half Steps in Major and Minor Scales
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