An interval is the distance between two notes, measured in semitones (half steps). Tap any interval below to see and hear it from C.
Every interval has two parts: a quality (perfect, major, minor, augmented, diminished) and a number (2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.) based on how many letter names it spans.
Perfect intervals
Unison, 4th, 5th, and Octave — stable and consonant, the backbone of harmony.
Major & Minor intervals
2nds, 3rds, 6ths, and 7ths — major sounds bright, minor sounds darker.
Dissonant / Gentle step
Sad / Happy
Open / Powerful
Tense, unstable
Bittersweet / Warm
Bluesy / Dreamy
Select an interval below to visualize it
Simple Intervals — tap to hear
When an interval spans more than one octave, it is called a compound interval. These have the same quality as their simple counterpart, just an octave (or more) higher. For example, a 9th is simply a 2nd played an octave higher.
= 2nd + octave
= 3rd + octave
= 4th + octave
= 5th + octave
= 6th + octave
= Double octave