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Lesson 10

Intervals

How far apart two notes are.

Count the letters

An interval is the distance between two notes. Count letter names including both ends. C to E is C–D–E: three letters, a 3rd. C to G is five letters, a 5th. The same letter an octave apart is an octave.

CE
A 3rd: C to E.
CG
A 5th: C to G.
CC
An octave: C to C.

Line to the next line (or space to the next space) is always an odd interval: 3rd, 5th, 7th. Line to a space is even: 2nd, 4th, 6th, octave.

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