Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Know Your Intervals by Ear
More Fifths

The reference point for all intervals is the western major scale. You know: "Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do." Replace those note names with numbers and sing "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8" with the same pitches - between the 1 and the 5 is an interval of a fifth.

Listen to another thang about fifths.

Being able to recognize the octave interval is the first step. Listen to the recorded bit above and see if you can identify the varoous fifth intervals.

Two notes a fifth apart will be on the same side of a diatonic kalimba. A really cool aspect of the kalimba is that there are very clear geometrical patterns that correspond to each of these concepts. SO, connect in your mind these three things for each interval:
(a) the logic of the interval - i.e., the distance on the number line called the scale,
(b) the sound of the interval - i.e., the emotional feeling, or the psychic stability of the two notes played together
(c) the visual-geometrical shape of the interval on the kalimba.

Do remember that the interval from G to D (1 to 5) or from A to E (2 to 6) are both fifths and will both sound the same. For over 99% of the people - everyone without perfect pitch - you will not be able to distinguish the G-D and the A-E intervals just by ear, at least not without a note reference - that is, if someone said "OK, this note is C.... keep that in your head.... now, what is this interval? G-D? Yes!" THAT is called "relative pitch", where a person can figure out other notes given the fact that some particular reference note is given - of course, from there it is all just intervals, and the whole point of what I am trying to teach is that most people CAN learn to recognize intervals by ear. I would say that essentially all good musicians have relative pitch. It is a skill that can be developed, while perfect pitch is something that you are born with - or perhaps something that develops automatically when you are very, very young.

Below are some of the fifth intervals on the Alto and the Treble. Go ahead and figure out the rest and then experiment with playing melodies made up of notes that are always in fifths. By the way - try the interval from F# to C - is it a fifth or not?

Tab for some of the Alto Kalimba's fifths.

Tab for some of the Treble Kalimba's fifths.