An INTERVAL is the difference in pitch between two notes. INTERVALS can be understood in scientific terms as the difference in vibrations per second between two pitches. Musicians tend to prefer to speak in less scientific terms when determining INTERVALS. That is to say, musicians refer to qualities (such as: major and minor) and distances (such as leaps and whole steps and half steps).
INTERVALS will be discussed more completely in Chapter Five.
When notes are placed on the staff in alphabetical sequence, the succession of pitches is said to be STEP WISE. STEP WISE MOTION is also observed on the above keyboard when moving from one pitch to the next in either an ascending (upwards) direction or a descending (downwards) direction.
When notes move successively by half steps, the motion is said to be CHROMATIC. For example, the following is a CHROMATIC scale (you may LISTEN TO IT by clicking on the control bar):
Another definition of CHROMATIC explains more precisely why the above scale is called a CHROMATIC SCALE. A CHROMATIC half step can be defined as a half step using one basic note (See Chapter 6, Page 2, for a complete explanation of "basic notes".) A DIATONIC half step can be defined as a half step using two basic notes. Each of the following half steps would sound the same, but the first is CHROMATIC and the second is DIATONIC.
If accidentals (sharps, flats, etc.) are applied to basic notes so that two notes look different but sound the same, the result is an ENHARMONIC equivalency. An example of ENHARMONIC equivalents is C-sharp and D-flat. In other words, C-sharp is the ENHARMONIC equivalent of D-flat.
POINT (Don't click) YOUR MOUSE at the following image to find out what pitch sounds like a-sharp. These two pitches, when played on the piano, will sound the same. The pitches, a-sharp and b-flat, are ENHARMONIC equivalents.
, MAKE CERTAIN YOU UNDERSTAND ALL THE INFORMATION PROVIDED THUS FAR. You may return to any of the previous pages for review by clicking on a page number at the top of the page. The next series of pages will give you some practice questions about this information. When you are ready to answer some questions, simply click "Next Page" below to continue.
