In music, an interval is the distance between two notes or two pitches. For example, the distance from C to D is a second, since this involves two “whole” notes (or whole tones). The distance from C to E is a third (3 notes – C,D, and E, skipping over D), and the distance or interval from D to A is a fifth – it involves five whole notes. Traditionally, chords are spelled in intervals of thirds. Musicians are trained to recognize intervals quickly. Many musical directors contend that a knowledge of singing in solfege (or solfeggio) will lead a person to recognize intervals quickly in written music, thus making sight reading easy and fun. When we sing the Italian “Sol, Mi, Do” in Musikgarten, we are singing a third, and then another third. When we sing “Do, Sol,” we are singing a fifth, such as D to A. Reverse that to “Sol, Do,” and it is still a fifth.
Some familiar tunes can help you learn several musical intervals: “Oh, When the Saints” begins with a major third. “Here Comes the Bride” begins with a perfect fourth. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” begins with a perfect fifth and “My Bonnie lies over the Ocean” begins with a major sixth.
When I refer to “do” - pronounced dough - I refer to the moveable do on the piano. “Do” can be D, or C, or G, or F, etc. Consequently, all the other solfege syllables move along with “do.”
No comments:
Post a Comment