Learning Intervals For Jazz Piano
An interval can be defined as the distance between 2 notes. As a jazz pianist, you need to have a solid understanding of intervals so that you can build chords quickly and improvise freely on the piano.
If you’re new to jazz piano, you might find this lesson quite technical so try not to get caught up in the theory. The main purpose of this lesson is to introduce you to the concept of intervals so that you are familiar with the interval names when covered in later lessons.
What Are Intervals In Jazz Piano?
All intervals contain a number and a prefix, the number tells you how big the interval is. In the C major scale, the interval from C to D contains 2 pitches — C & D which makes it a ‘2nd interval’. The interval from D to A contains 5 pitched — D, E, F, G & A — which makes this a ‘5th interval’.
The second part of the interval name is the prefix and there are 5 prefixes to learn which give you more information about the interval:
- Major Intervals
- Minor Intervals
- Perfect Intervals
- Augmented Intervals
- Diminished Intervals
Understanding The Concept of Half & Whole Steps
In order to work out interval names quickly, you need to understand the concept of half and whole steps.
A ‘half step’ which is also known as a ‘semitone’ is where you play 2 adjacent keys on the piano. Examples include C — Db and E — F.
A ‘whole step’ which is also known as a ‘tone’ is made up of 2 half steps — so there is always a note in between. Examples include C — D and E — F#.
All intervals can be measured in terms of whole and half steps so it’s important that you understand these two terms.
The Minor 2nd Interval
The smallest of all intervals is the minor 2nd which is an interval of half a step. You will find minor 2nd intervals in close-position minor 9th voicings. The minor 2nd interval is in the middle of the chord.
The Major 2nd Interval
The major 2nd is an in interval of a whole step or 2 half steps. The major 2nd interval sounds slightly brighter that the minor 2nd but still has a dense and compact sound. An example of a major 2nd interval in a chord is a close position major 9th voicing.
The minor and major 2nd intervals add dissonance to close position voicings and create a jazz sound.
The Minor & Major 3rd Interval
Next we have the minor 3rd and the major 3rd. The minor 3rd is an interval of 1 1/2 steps and the major 3rd is an interval of 4 half steps.
Minor and major 3rds are the basic building block of triads, 7th chords and other extended chords. You will find them in minor triads, minor 7th chords and minor 9ths. And also in major triads, major 7th chords and major 9th chords. In the lesson on triads and 7th chords we look in more details at major and minor 3rds and how they are used to create these chords.
The Perfect 4th Interval
The perfect 4th is an interval of 5 half steps. It’s called perfect because it’s neither minor or major. The perfect 4th is a very consonant sounding interval and it’s used extensively to create modern sounding 4th voicings.
A common 4th based voicing is the So What Voicing.
The Perfect 5th Interval
The perfect 5th is an interval of 3 1/2 steps — again it’s called perfect because it’s neither minor or major. The 5th is a unique interval because it can be played very low down on the piano without it sounding distorted. This makes it very handy for adding depth and weight to a chord.
Some voicings are built exclusively of fifths, the most common which is the Kenny Barron Voicing.
The Tritone Interval
There is actually an interval between the perfect 4th and 5th which goes by 3 different names.
The first name is the augmented 4th — you should look at this as a perfect 4th interval that have been raised by half a step.
The second name is the diminished 5th — you should look at this as a perfect 5th that’s been lowered by half a step.
The final name that is used to describe an interval of 3 whole steps is the tritone. The tritone is present in all dominant 7th chords. The tritone intervals gives the dominant chord it’s tense and unstable sound.
The Augmented 5th Interval
Next we have the augmented 5th and the minor 6th — these two intervals are both 4 whole steps.
You should look at the augmented 5th intervals as a perfect fifth that has been raised by half a step. It’s present in augmented triads and augmented 7th chords.
The minor 6th is also an interval of 4 whole steps but you should look at it as a major 6th interval that has been lowered by half a step.
The Major 6th Interval
The major 6th is an interval of 4 1/2 steps, what’s confusing about the major 6th is that it is used for both major 6th chord and also minor 6th chords.
The Minor 7th Interval
Next we have the minor 7th and the major 7th. The minor 7th is an interval of 5 whole steps and is used to create minor 7th chords
The Major 7th Interval
The major 7th is an interval of 5 1/2 steps and is uses to create major 7th chords.
The Octave Interval
The last interval is the octave. The octave marks the next occurrence either higher or lower on the keyword.
Related Lessons
The Kenny Barron voicing is an minor 11th chord voicing built from 5th intervals. The voicing is names after acclaimed jazz pianist Kenny Barron.
Extended chords create a richer and more complex sound than triads and 7th chords and are used to create more interesting progressions.
Introduced by the pianist Bill Evans, the ‘So What’ chord is a minor 11th voicing that sounds great over minor chords with the 5th in the melody.
Practice Tips
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Make an effort to learn these interval names.
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This will happen naturally as you watch more lessons in the PianoGroove course as we are always referring to the interval names.
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At this stage, perhaps run through each interval name once a week to keep the information fresh in your memory.
Hi Hayden, I have 2 questions regarding the Intervalls:
1) What isn‘t the perfect fourth not called „minor fourth“, since a semitone further is called „minor“ before as in the minor second? You might say, because it is neither minor nor major. But the minor second is neither in the minor nor the major scale,too… ? What am I missing?
2) why is the sixth in the minor C scale an A? If I go up the C scale by 6 tones I get an A flat…
Best!
Hi Claudio.
Thanks for getting in touch and sure let me try to help you out here…
1) The perfect 4th is called perfect, because it is neither minor or major. A 1/2 step higher than the perfect 4th is the ‘tritone interval’. This is the most tense, dissonant and unstable of all intervals, and it is found in all dominant chords. It is also called an augmented 4th or a diminished 5th, but it depends on the context. If it’s a major chord, you would likely look at it as the augmented 4th (or #11). Alternatively, if it is a -7b5 chord or diminished chord, you would look at it as the diminished 5th or b5.
Regarding the 2nd. There are only 2 second intervals, 1 is a whole step, the other is a half step. They are named the major and minor second. In all major scales, the 2nd degree of the scale is always a half step above the root. Therefor it makes sense to call this interval a major second.
In some minor scales/modes, such as the Phrygian Mode & the Locrian mode, the 2nd is flattened, and so it makes sense to call this interval the minor 2nd.
Ultimately Claudio, just accept that these are the names of the intervals. The names covered in this lesson is how every jazz musician would refer to these intervals so you need to learn them.
2) The C major scale contains all white notes. The 6th of C major is not Ab, it is A. I’m a little lost how you got Ab in C Major? Have you downloaded the 12 major scales notation here: https://www.pianogroove.com/resources/major-scales-pdf/
The only thing I can think of is the major bebob scale, where an additional note is added in between the 5th and 6th in order to create an 8 note scale (8 note scales were easier to improvise with in 4/4 and that’s why it was introduced during the bebob era). But as a beginner you should be focusing on your major scales.
Some of the terminology can be challenging as a beginner Claudio.
What I would recommend for you:
1) Learn the interval names as covered in this lesson.
2) Move onto to some of the other lessons in the PianoGroove course and listen out for me mentioning these interval names.
3) The more that you see these intervals in context, the more this will make sense.
It is a slow and gradual process, but with time and focused daily practice you will see improvements.
I hope this helps and if you would like me to elaborate on anything just let me know 🙂
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Claudio,
I misunderstood your question (2). I misread and thought you said C Major Scale.
For minor chords, you most useful scale is the Dorian Mode. The Dorian mode is the natural minor scale with the b6 and is suited to improvisation over minor chords.
Check out the course on Scales & Modes for Improvisation: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/scales-modes-improvisation/
The first lesson in that course will answer your question in more detail.
I hope this helps, any further questions just let me know 🙂
Cheers,
Hayden
My question was regarding the part at 9:13 in the interval lesson: Why the “major 6th” ist used in a Cm6 and not the “minor 6th” (Ab)? I thought, the term “minor 6th” belongs exactly to the fact, that it is used in the Minor-Chords… Sorry, if I bother with those questions… I just want to know it there is a logic or if I just have to accept and learn this “illogicalness”…
Hi Claudio, thanks for sharing the lesson time… I understand the question now.
Yes the 6th interval is an unusual one.
If I could rename the intervals, I would call it the “perfect 6th” because it is used for both the major and minor 6th chords. That would make much more sense!
The study of intervals can go a lot deeper than what’s covered in this lesson, but I have just broken down the essential terminology needed for the jazz piano student to understand the construction of chords and scales.
Yes you are correct, there are some things in jazz where it’s best to just accept the “illogicalness” instead of getting caught up on it. Some students do find this tricky… particularly professionals who come from scientific and academic backgrounds.
It’s a very good question you asked… it’s always good to question things so please never apologies for asking questions, I’m always more than happy to answer them 🙂
Another thing is that with jazz there are ‘general guidelines’ but nothing is set in stone which adds the beauty of the art. It’s constantly evolving and challenging the previous norms and conventions.
Hope this helps Claudio.
Cheers,
Hayden
Great, it definitely helps! Thanks a lot!
Loved this.
And don’t forget.. Cm(maj7)
Thanks a bunch
These are the kinds of lessons I am looking for and within that short span of time, you have covered a lot of information already with the demonstration. Thanks very much. I loved the sound of the Cm11 btw. Useful information too that you have mentioned the formula each time, which makes it easier to identify for example a minor or major 3rd…
Glad you enjoyed the lessons Tina.
Throughout the PianoGroove course we refer to these interval names and so we are constantly revisiting the theory covered in this lesson. Whilst it may seem like a lot of information right now, you will soon become familiar with the names and shapes of each interval.
And yes the Cm11 voicing is a beautiful sound. Check out the lesson on the Kenny Barron Voicing for more information: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/kenny-barron-voicing/
Cheers!
Hayden
Why do you play an A in C13?
Hi Caryln,
Good question.
When playing dominant chords such as C7, we can add the 6 or 13 (the same note) to add more ‘crunch’, tension, and dissonance to our dominant chords. This dissonance comes from the half step interval between the 6 or 13 and the b7.
When the 7th is present in the chord, we always refer to the 6 as the 13. Using C7 as an example, when we add the note ‘A’ it then becomes a C13 chord because ‘A’ is the 13th of C. We are delving into the realms of chord extensions here which is the coming up in the next courses.
If this doesn’t make sense right now, don’t fret about it and the full understanding will come after watching the next beginner courses where I explain in more detail.
Hope this helps and if I can be of further assistance let me know.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Hayden , you invited the student to comment if anything was missing. You taught us that minor 7th interval is used in minor 7th chords. Very true so!
It’s also used in all dominant chords where the third is always major ( M3 )
The reason why all dominant chords have a tritone is the interval from the major third to the minor seventh.
M3 – m7 distance = interval of tritone. This is always the case or it would not be a dominant chord.
Addendum: the maj7 chord and m7 chord have a P5 interval between their 3rd and 7th. Both are major in the maj7 chord and both are minor in th m7 chord. And that’s very special! Because if we take 2 random notes on the piano that have a distance (interval) of a tritone, then we have the shell of a dominant chord.
If its a P5 then we can build a 2-5-1 on it by deciding that we hold a minor chord shell ii . Lowering the 7th with half a tone makes the interval a tritone and gives us the dominant V7 with the 3rd in the highest note. when we lower the 7th (which is now the lowest note) we change the distance from tritone to P5 again and reach the shell of the maj7 in I . (ii – V7 – I ).
Is this more or less correct? Thanks
Lenny
Hi Wouter 👋🏻
Yes this relationship gives you rootless voicings containing just the 3rd and 7th of each chord in the 251 progression.
You are correct that if we pick a random P5 interval on the piano, this could function as the b3rd and b7th of a ii-7 chord, drop the b7 and it becomes the b7th and 3rd of the V7 chord, then drop the b7 again and we have the 3rd and 7th of the Imaj7 chord.
We could repeat the same process by picking a P4 interval and dropping the bottom note first. This would be a Type B 251 progression as we explore in the lesson on the 251 progression.
It is great to be visualising the 3rd and 7th without the root, and we explore this concept further in our course on rootless harmony.
I do recommend that students play the root in the bass when starting out with 3-note 251s, but playing them rootless is also a great exercise.
Let me know if you have any further questions.
Cheers,
Hayden
I think I understand what intervals are as presented in this lesson, but I’m unsure how to go about practicing them. There’s not any execises that are illustrated on how I would go about doing this, although the practice schedule includes interval practice in both the major and minor scale sections.
Could you give me some ideas about how to go about practicing intervals?
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Michael,
Good question!
The purpose of this lesson is to familiarise students with the interval names.
In the next course on “Extended Chords & Voicings” you will see that we use all of the interval names to construct jazzy sounding voicings, and so it’s important that we are familiar with the interval names.
Here’s the link to that course:https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/extended-chords-voicings/
Here’s my recommendation on practicing intervals:
Take any of the voicings that we cover in that course (So What Voicing, Herbie Hancock Voicing, Kenny Barron Voicing) and analyse the intervals that are present in the voicing.
Next take the voicing around all 12 keys, again paying attention to the intervals when moving the voicing shape between the different keys.
Before long you will be able to visualise all of the intervals shapes on the piano.
That would be my first recommendation.
A more advanced exercise would be to transcribe one of the ear training exercises here:
https://www.pianogroove.com/community/t/ear-training-exercises-beginner/2542/
https://www.pianogroove.com/community/t/ear-training-exercises-intermediate/2547/
Once you have transcribed the line, work out the exact intervals that create the improvised melody line.
Then transpose this around other keys, preferably all 12.
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Right now Michael, the most important thing is just to memorise the interval names because these names are mentioned in the upcoming courses theory lessons.
Dedicate some time to the exercises above and you will see you knowledge of intervals improve rapidly.
I hope this helps and any further questions let me know.
Cheers,
Hayden
Why are the lock symbols next the lessons in my course? Am I locked out after checking them out. And They end abruptly before completion. What’s the deal?
Hi Alston,
Thanks for getting in touch.
You enrolled for access to the beginner arrangements course here: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/beginner-jazz-piano-arrangements/ – you have lifetime access to those 9 lessons, but not for the other courses on the website.
If you go to your dashboard here: https://www.pianogroove.com/welcome-to-pianogroove/ you will see the course(s) that you have purchased displayed there.
This “Jazz Piano Foundations” course is also available for one-time purchase in the shop area, or if you wish to have access to all lessons and courses on the website, see our subscription page here: http://www.pianogroove.com/join/
Let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi, I’m new to the course and I’m excited about everything I’m learning.
I think I found a little error in the “Description” section.
In “The Minor Second Interval” it says “You will find minor 3nd intervals in close-position minor 9th voicings” and should be “You will find minor 2nd intervals…”
Thank you.
Hi Reinhold,
Thanks for letting me know about the typo. I have now fixed this.
I’m glad to hear you are enjoying the course, and let me know if I can help you with anything else you are working on.
Cheers,
Hayden
Hi Hayden
Being classically trained I keep having to go back to the beginnings to really learn this! Since I can sight read and play most of your music I have to block my thinking: why am I spending slo much time on this when I can play his stuff?
And then when I return to basics I have to make sure I dont skim over rather than learn. Really a lot of work for an 84 year old in a hurry to learn to play what I hear in my head!
Thank you for your instruction, I find it to be the best for me! Sue Lewis
Hi Hayden, i havent been able to find a PDF on Intervals that would go with this lesson. Is there one?
Hi Richard,
Currently we don’t have a PDF file on intervals, but I can certainly create one using the graphics from the video if that would be helpful.
As I mention in the “Practice Tips” section of this page, the interval names will quickly become familiar as we are always referring to them in the upcoming PianoGroove lessons.
Check out the first module in our chord extensions course here: https://www.pianogroove.com/jazz-piano-lessons/extended-chords-voicings/
In these lessons we analyse 3 very common and useful minor chord voicings and we analyse and examine the interval construction of the voicings.
My opinion is that this kind of study is the best way to truly internalise and remember the interval names, as we are learning them whilst applying them to an actual chord structure. In each of those lessons we also apply the chord structure to jazz standards and so this is a very practical way to learn intervals, as oppose to trying to memorise a list of words.
Take at look over those lessons. I recommend to study the chord extensions course in tandem with the foundations course, as lots of the theory areas are related.
Please let me know if you would still like a PDF with the interval names and I’ll happily create one for you.
Talk soon,
Hayden