Its quality refines this measurement.  An interval’s quality can be perfect,  major, minor, diminished, or augmented.  Perfect intervals include  unisons (firsts), fourths, fifths, and octaves.  Major and minor intervals are seconds, thirds, sixths, and sevenths.  Any interval size can be diminished or augmented.

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Odd numbered intervals:  seconds, fourths, sixths and octaves, fall on a line and a space.  Study the spacing between the note pairs in the following examples:

Intervals to Learn How to Read Music Notes

Notice that seconds have no lines or spaces between them.  Fourths have one space between the two pitches.  Sixths have two spaces, and octaves have three.  Its not that you have to remember how many spaces and lines there are between the intervals, recall that we are learning to recognize them at sight, but we want to build a visual image of how a particular interval appear on the page.

Now its time to test your new-knowledge.  Try to name the size of the following intervals by saying them aloud, one after the other, in a steady slow tempo:

How to Read Music Notes Intervals Exercises

We’re getting close. Will wrap up this music reading lesson next time!