I am a little confused about intervals.

Does the fact that the notes involved in a particular interval are different depending on whether or not you are ascending or descending from a particular scale degree confuse anyone else?

Say I'm trying to tell someone how to play a particular tune and I say "starting at the root, play a Major 3rd". Well, in the key of A, a Major 3rd could be a Db or Gb depending how you look at it.

I thought I understood this but now I'm all confused.

I could be wrong about this, but whether the note is flat or #, depends on the key of the particular piece of music. Sorta based on the circle of fifths I think.

Im sure someone else much more knowledgable will come along tell me Im wrong...lol

Originally posted by count_funkula
I am a little confused about intervals.

Does the fact that the notes involved in a particular interval are different depending on whether or not you are ascending or descending from a particular scale degree confuse anyone else?

Say I'm trying to tell someone how to play a particular tune and I say "starting at the root, play a Major 3rd". Well, in the key of A, a Major 3rd could be a Db or Gb depending how you look at it.

I thought I understood this but now I'm all confused.

Gard made a great thread about intervals here, you might want to check out:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37168&highlight=intervals

By the way, I think Db to Gb is a perfect 4th, and not a major 3rd. Is that what you mean, tho? If you start at your root, A, your major 3rd would be C# (A to C#) I believe. I would assume in this situation that it would be the same descending, but I'm still studying up on my intervals so please don't go by me. :D

And, in the Key of A you would usually see the notes as C# and F# (and G#) instead of Db and Gb.

Originally posted by BUTTSTAR
I could be wrong about this, but whether the note is flat or #, depends on the key of the particular piece of music. Sorta based on the circle of fifths I think.

Going clockwise on the circle of 5ths, for the Key of A (and F#m-its relative minor), you would have sharps. If you go counter-clockwise, in 4ths, you would have flats. One thing to remember, when dealing with key signatures, is not to mix sharps and flats. Ex: With your F#m you wouldn't say Db, Gb, Ab, you would say C#, F#, G#. F#m=Gbm, but I think Gbm is rarely used.

Hope I'm correct on this as well. :D

Say I'm trying to tell someone how to play a particular tune and I say "starting at the root, play a Major 3rd". Well, in the key of A, a Major 3rd could be a Db or Gb depending how you look at it.


I think the issue here is the difference between scale degrees and the names of intervals. If you were to say play the root (A) and then "the" Major 3rd of A Major (C#) that is one thing. If you say play the root and then drop down "a" Major 3rd (F) that's different.

Take the C Major scale for instance. Say you're staring on the note E (the 3rd degree of the C Major scale) and then you move up to B. B is the 7th degree of a C Major scale, but the intervalic distance between those two notes E & B would be a Perfect 5th.

I hope that helps to some, not sure if that was exactly what you're having trouble with? Someone should be around to confirm and expand on all of this soon enough.

I found the answer I was looking for in one of my books.

Thanks anyway.

Does anyone know a web site that CLEARLY teaches about intervals?, I'm a super-newbie and I need the easiest explanation possible..I'm already lost when you guys start talking about "major" and in the "key" of...

Originally posted by count_funkula
Well, in the key of A, a Major 3rd could be a Db or Gb depending how you look at it.

Count-
Glad you found the answer.
That said-
In the key of "A", a Major 3rd could NEVER ever be a "Db".
"Count" out on your fingers A-B-C-D...that = 4 fingers, right? How can FOUR = a "3rd"?! ;)

True, "C#" & "Db" sound the same...theoretically, they're 'different'.
I recall arguing with my college professor for about 30 minutes over this same thing! Finally, the light clicked 'on'. What I was doing was-
SEEING the interval on paper.
THINKING what the interval LOOKED like on a bass' neck. By doing this, a minor 3rd & a raised 2nd LOOKED like one-in-the-same.
To me, a raised 2nd was a minor 3rd. DUH! ;)

Anyway-
"C#" is the Major 3rd in "A" Major.
"Db" is a diminished(lowered, flatted) 4th.

Watch those enharmonics! ;)

Read you loud and clear JimK. I'm pretty bad about that. Same fret on the bass so I often use whatever name comes to mind. You are right though it is a C#.

Originally posted by count_funkula
Say I'm trying to tell someone how to play a particular tune and I say "starting at the root, play a Major 3rd". Well, in the key of A, a Major 3rd could be a Db or Gb depending how you look at it.


Maybe I'm reading this wrong, considering the majority of answers I've read. Unless you're telling someone to go down, how could a Gb (or F#) be a possibility?

If you say "starting at the root, play a Major 3rd" it's ascending. That's C# (Db).

Brad, I was wrong. The distance between A and F# is a Minor 3rd.

F-G-A : Determines the type of interval (3rd)
3 semitones : Determines the quality of interval (minor)


The answer I found in my book that helped me was, intervals are always determined by looking at the "distance" between the lower note and the higher note. I think I understand now. Thanks for all the help.

Originally posted by count_funkula
Brad, I was wrong. The distance between A and F# is a Minor 3rd.


Not again...:confused: ;)

"F#" to "A" is a minor 3rd.
"A" to "F# is a Major 6th.

BTW, note how the 3 & 6 add up to 9 & how the Major/minor flip-flops.

Others-
"F#" to "G#" = a Major 2nd
"G#" to "F#" = a minor 7th
2 + 7 =9

"F#" to "C#" = a Perfect 5th
"C#" to "F#" = a Perfect 4th
5 + 4 = 9

Doh! Thats what I meant.....really.....F# to A is a Minor 3rd.

Originally posted by Ed Fuqua
And isn't it fun how the relationships between ascending and descending scale degrees make for such fun in chords -minor6/half diminished - maj6/min7. Fun, fun,fun........

NO

Originally posted by JimK



Not again...:confused: ;)

"F#" to "A" is a minor 3rd.
"A" to "F# is a Major 6th.

BTW, note how the 3 & 6 add up to 9 & how the Major/minor flip-flops.

Others-
"F#" to "G#" = a Major 2nd
"G#" to "F#" = a minor 7th
2 + 7 =9

"F#" to "C#" = a Perfect 5th
"C#" to "F#" = a Perfect 4th
5 + 4 = 9

JimK you left out:

F# to F#(octave higher) = Perfect Octave
1 + 8 = 9!

:D

...dammit, Phil!

(I just knew I forget sumthin'). ;)

And it is fun!

Originally posted by JimK


Watch those enharmonics! ;)

and I was just about to get out my paper plate again :eek: