If you’ve never come across Django Bates’ “Interval Song,” then I’d highly recommend clicking play on the video below. It’s a very unique piece that, as you can guess from the title, is all about intervals.
Not only do the lyrics cover every different interval quality, but the melody is also each interval. From minor 2nds to major 7ths, this catchy tune is a great way to internalize intervals, and you’ll find yourself singing along in no time.
Check it out below.
Quite different, right?
So why does mastering intervals matter so much for musicians? Well, it’s a game-changer!
Learning songs like this can massively boost your interval recognition skills, which is a fancy way of saying your relative pitch is about to level up.
Think of relative pitch as your musical GPS. It helps you navigate through melodies and harmonies, understanding how each note relates to the next.
This is super important, especially for musicians who want to play by ear, improvise a solo, or work out the chords to a song without looking at the music.
It’s one thing to know that a major 6th is four whole steps apart, but it’s another thing entirely to recognize its sound in the middle of a song. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll start noticing these intervals everywhere – music will never sound the same again!
Having a good ear for intervals is like being able to speak a language fluently. You understand the conversation between notes, making you a more versatile and confident musician.
You can jump into jam sessions more easily, write more expressive music, and even tune your instrument better. And let’s be honest, there’s something pretty cool about being able to play back a melody or chord progression just by ear.
How To Improve Your Interval Recognition?
There are loads of ways to improve your interval recognition. Some of my favorite ways to practice are:
- Using Ear Training Apps
- Online courses
- YouTube Videos
- Transcribing melodies
Check out this free ear training app from musictheory.net that I use and recommend to all my students.
Do a little bit every day, and you’ll notice a difference quickly in how well you know your intervals.
Let me know how you get on.
