Intervals: The Distance Between Notes

Interval chart: unison to octave

A semitone is the distance of one guitar fret. The table uses common interval spellings; an interval's exact name also depends on its note letters.

C to F# is an augmented fourth; C to Gb is a diminished fifth. Both span six semitones and are called tritones. The octave row means the next higher C, not the starting C.

Melodic and harmonic intervals

Play C followed by E and you hear a melodic major third. Play C and E together and you hear a harmonic major third. The notes have the same pitch relationship; what changes is whether they sound in sequence or at the same time.

An interval has a number and a quality. Count note letters inclusively for the number: C–D–E spans a third. Then use the pitch distance to identify its quality: C to E is a major third, while C to Eb is a minor third.

Use the major scale as a reference

From C, the major scale is C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. Its root-to-note intervals are P1, M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7, and P8. P means perfect, M means major, and m means minor.

Compare that with C natural minor: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C. Relative to the major scale, its third, sixth, and seventh are each lowered by one semitone. Its formula is 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7.

These labels measure from the root. The distance between two neighboring scale notes is a separate interval: E to F is a minor second even though both notes belong to C major.

Find intervals on the fretboard

On a single string, one fret equals one semitone and two frets equal one whole tone. Starting on C, move up four frets for E, seven for G, and twelve for the next C. The distances stay the same when you choose a different starting note.

Across strings, the open-string tuning matters. In standard tuning, E–A, A–D, D–G, and B–E are perfect fourths; G–B is a major third. A shape that crosses the G and B strings therefore needs an adjustment compared with the same shape across strings tuned a fourth apart.

Connect intervals to chord tones

A major triad uses 1, 3, 5: C, E, G in C major. A minor triad uses 1, b3, 5: C, Eb, G in C minor. Hearing and locating that changed third helps connect a chord's sound with its fretboard shape.

Seventh chords add another interval. Cmaj7 uses C, E, G, B; C7 uses C, E, G, Bb. The first has a major seventh and the second a minor seventh. Neither the label nor the fretboard shape replaces listening to the chord in context.

For phrasing practice, choose one chord tone and land on it deliberately. Intervals help explain the relationship; whether a note sounds settled or tense also depends on the chord, rhythm, and surrounding phrase.

A short interval practice routine

1. Choose a root you can find comfortably on the fretboard. Play it, then sing or imagine the sound of a major third before playing the note four frets above it on the same string.
2. Compare the major third with the minor third, one fret lower. Return to the root between attempts so the reference stays clear.
3. Find a perfect fifth seven frets above the root, then locate the same notes across neighboring strings. Check the notes instead of relying only on the shape.
4. Use the root, third, and fifth in a short phrase over the matching chord. Move the idea to another root or position once you can name and hear the relationships.

C major interval charts — Find the major-scale root reference across the fretboard.

C natural minor interval charts — Compare the lowered third, sixth, and seventh with C major.

Aeolian fifth-to-fifth practice

C Aeolian is C natural minor: C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb. Its formula is 1, 2, b3, 4, 5, b6, b7. G is the fifth of C, so use G as both the starting note and the landing target while keeping C as your tonal reference.

First play this single-octave example slowly. The last G is one octave above the first; reverse the notes to return to your starting G. Listen over a C minor chord or a sustained C so you hear G as the fifth, even when the phrase starts there.

Ascending: G – Ab – Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G

Descending: G – F – Eb – D – C – Bb – Ab – G

1. Open the C Aeolian chart and choose a position. Locate C and every G in the displayed shape before playing; say “root” for C and “fifth” for G.
2. Start on a G within the position. Move up one scale note at a time to the highest note in the displayed shape, then descend through the shape to its lowest note. Turn upward again and stop on your starting G. Stay inside the displayed position rather than forcing the one-octave example into a shape that does not contain it.
3. Pause on the final G and check its sound against C. Repeat evenly, then move through positions 1–7. Keep the same fifth-to-fifth goal while learning where G lies in each position.

This is a manual practice guide. The chart lets you choose positions, but its generated tabs and playback start and end on the root. Use the chart to find the notes and play the fifth-to-fifth route yourself.

Choose a position on the C Aeolian chart