Intervals
Getting to know them.
I remember as a kid, being completely intimidated by music theory, especially when there was talk of “big” or extended chords. I had no idea what a diminished or augmented, or a 9th, an 11th or 13th chords actually were or how they were used or where they even came from. What seemed so mysterious to me back then, is basic common chord structure to me now. I hope that this lesson will shed some light for you.
How to understand this exercise.
This exercise is just one way of looking at the notes and their intervals in the key of C major - located and including the frets between 7 and 11, on all six strings. The idea is to look at the interval placements as steps on an imaginary ladder across the strings.
Each interval will begin at the C note on the 8th fret of the sixth string. The following note in that measure, will be the interval name between that note and the C note.
For example:
C on the six string, and the G# on the fifth string is called an “Augmented 5th” (see measure “H” below).
C on the six string, and the A on the second string is called a “Major 13th”. (see measure “U” below).
This exercise takes a look at all of the notes and their intervals included both the first and second octaves.
First Octave:
C = I, Db = ii, D = II, Eb = iii, E = III, F - IV, Gb = v, G = V, G# = V#, A = VI, Bb = vii,
B = VII, C = I (octave).
Second Octave:
C = I, Db = ix, D = IX, Eb = IX#, E = III, F - XI, Gb = v or XI#, G = V, G# = V#, A = VIII, Bb = vii, B = VII, C = I (2nd octave).
Upper case = Major and Perfect
Lower case = minor, diminished, augmented and diminished.
From the first to the second octave:
ii becomes ix, II becomes IX, iii becomes either iii again or IX#, IV becomes XI, v becomes v again or XI# and VI becomes XIII.
In case you don’t know your Roman numerals in music:
I = 1(root), ii = minor 2nd, II = Major 2nd, iii = minor 3rd, III = Major 3rd, IV = Perfect 4th, v = diminished 5th, V = Perfect 5th, V# = augmented 5th, VI = Major 6th, vii = dominant 7th, VII = Major 7th, ix = flatted 9th, IX = Major 9th, IX# = sharped 9th, XI = Perfect 11th, XI# = sharped 11th, XIII = Major 13th.
This exercise will also help you better understand chord structures that include upwards of four, five or in some cases, even six different notes.
