spell intervals fast: tips and tricks

Spell Intervals Fast: Tips and Tricks

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Learning to "spell" intervals is essential if you want to use them.

• Unfortunately the standard way to work out interval spellings is too slow to be practical!

• There are several tricks you can use to speed it up.



Trick #1: Memorize the Rules Fast• Each interval type has a set pattern of rules which can be learned. This is

quicker to learn than note name and interval type combinations:

• Major Second: Accidental matches, except root E/B where it’s raised one

• Major Third: Accidental raised one, except root F/C/G where it matches

• Perfect Fourth: Accidental matches, except root F where it’s lowered one

• Perfect Fifth: Accidental matches, except root B where it’s raised one

• Major Sixth: Accidental matches, except for root A/E/B where it’s raised one

• Major Seventh: Accidental raised one except for root F/C where it matches



Trick #2: Use the Key Signature

• This is an easy shortcut if you already know key signatures of major scales.

• The correct interval spellings will always be based on the key signature.



Trick #3: Beyond the Major Scale• After learning the major scale intervals you can derive

other interval spellings from there.

• You don’t need to memorize all the minor, augmented and diminished intervals.

• If you know the major interval, reduce the top note accidental by one for the minor. “C up to E is a major third” becomes “C up to E♭ is a minor third”, and so on.

• Derive augmented and diminished fourths and fifths by raising or lowering the spelling by one.



Trick #4: Don't Relearn the Descending

• You have two options to re-use your existing knowledge to find the answer.

• Firstly, reframe the question and you may find you already know the answer. eg: “What note is C a major third above?”. Start from the answer, and might find you know the question.

• The other option is to use the inversion trick:

• Each interval type pairs up with a corresponding inversion.

• Going up by one interval brings you to the same note as going down by the other.

• For example, perfect fourths and perfect fifths are inversion pairs so going up a perfect fourth from a C takes you to an F, and going down by a perfect fifth from a C takes you to an F.



Trick #4: Don't Relearn the Descending


• Learn the inversion pairs and you can transform any descending interval task into an ascending one:

• Unison ←→ Octave

• 2nd ←→ 7th

• 3rd ←→ 6th

• 4th ←→ 5th

• 5th ←→ 4th

• 6th ←→ 3rd

• 7th ←→ 2nd

• The quality of the interval in an inversion pair changes like this:

• Perfect ←→ Perfect

• Major ←→ Minor

• Augmented ←→ Diminished


Trick #5: Use Enharmonics• e.g. E♯ and F are an enharmonic pair: Raising E

by one semitone is the same pitch as F.

• If you memorize the interval spellings for a note, you can derive the spellings for the enharmonics.

• You will need to adjust the spelling, but you don’t need to start over.

• So if you e.g. know all major intervals starting from an F♯, don’t waste time memorizing them for G♭!



Trick #6: Your Own Toolkit• So far we’ve introduced five different ways you can speed up

learning to spell intervals.

• Don’t worry. You don’t need to master all of these techniques.

• Learning even just one or two can considerably speed up the learning process for you.

• Which shortcuts are useful will depend on your musical background and learning style.

• Make sure you understand each of them so you can make an informed choice.



Trick #7: Choose Your Battles• Gradually increase the set of spellings you

expect yourself to know.

• Sometimes the fastest way to reach your goal is with small, consistent steps forward.

• For example, start with just the intervals of the major scale.

• Then you can use simple adjustments to instantly figure out the other interval types.



In time, you will be able to spell intervals quickly with instant recall.

• Trying to learn quickly and trying to instantly recall of each spelling is frustrating.

• Instant recall is the goal, but trying to do it right away will make for a tedious journey.

• Let yourself do it methodically at first and allow instant recall to develop over time.

• Use the process explained above daily and you will automatically start to memorize the spellings.

• Spelling intervals will soon become second nature.



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spell intervals fast: tips and tricks

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