Interval

(Lat. interval’lum; Ger. Jntervall; Fr. intervalle; It. interval’ lo.) The difference in pitch between 2 tones. —For naming the various intervals there are 2 systems in vogue; both are founded upon and derived from the names of the intervals formed, in the diatonic major scale, between the keynote and the succe ive ascending degrees; in both the rst degree is called a Prime (or First), the 2nd a Second, the 3rd a Third (or Tiere), qth a Fourth (or Quart), 5th a Fifth (or Quint), 6th a Sixth (or Sext), 7th a Seventh (or Sept), and the 8th an Octave (or Zighth). In the typical scale of Cmajor the standard intervals are as follows, counting upward from the keynote, Cs (TABLE 1.) 2 Se FX RUBS (1) The older system, that in general use, will be explained first; premising, that intervals are always considered as measured upwards from the lower tone to the higher, unle expre ly accompanied with the epithet de/ow or lower. Table III includes the standard intervals and their direct derivatives between aca) TT Table III shows (A) that each mayor or perfect interval, when widened by a semitone, becomes augmented; that each major interval, narrowed by a semitone, becomes minor; and that each minor or per fect interval, narrowed by a semitone, becomes diminished; (8) that by inverting the intervals: B76 54321 a Perfect interval becomes perfect a Major s wo minor an Augmented ‘* bal diminished a'Dimfnished** “augmented; (C) the regular order of the standard intervals according to their pitch (compare Vibration), both in Just Intonation and Equal Temperament, intervals bracketed together being Enhar- —INTERVAL. monic; (D) the division of the Octave in Equal Temperament. (2) In the newer system, all the standard intervals are called major; any major interval widened by a semitone becomes augmented, if narrowed by a semitone, it is minors and any minor interval ‘narrowed by a semitone becomes diminished » (TABLE II). a dene, a Diminished. Bnd B meg Bee Oo Fourth. —F —AE —Fp A Fifth... —G —Gg —Gh GI G Sixth... —A —Ag —ap —al e Seventh. —B —BE —B “—B 3 Octave.. —C G GS ‘The latter system is simpler and more consistent than the old, and might be advantageously substituted for it if all leading musicians in England and America would agree to adopt it; otherwise, its occasional use can serve only to increase the confusion unhappily pre vailing in English musical terminology. In this Dictionary the older system is adhered to throughout. An interval is: —Augmented, when wider by a chromatic semitone than major or perfect... Chromatic, when occurring between a. key-tone and a tone foreign to the key.; Compound, when wider than an octave; thus a Ninth is an Octave plus a * Second, a Tenth is an Octave plus a Third, etc... Consonant, when not requiring resolution (comp. Consonance).:,Diatonic, when occurring between 2 tones belonging to the same key (exceptions, the augm. 2nd and sth of the harmonic minor scale)...Diminished, when a chromatic semitone narrower than minor or perfect... Di onant, when requiring resolution (comp. Di onance)... Enharmonic, when both its tones, though having different letter names, are represented by one and the same tone on an instr. of fixed intona tion... Extreme, see Augmented... Flat, see Diminished... Harmonic, when both tones are sounded together... Imperfect, see Diminished,..Inverted, when the higher tone is lowered, or the lower tone raised, by an octave (see Table I)... Major » according to Table I, the major intervals of the major seale are the Second, Third, Sixth, and Seventh; acc. to Table II, all its intervals are major... A/elodic, when the 2 tones are sounded in succe ion... (Oma A Inverted Inter- Standard vals, ) Intervals. Perfect Octave Perfect Prime (1:2) Q Dimin. Octave # ¥ Augm. Prime (25: 48) i (Chromatic 5 abe Second)* Major Seventh Minor Second (8: 15) Aba) (Step of Lead Minor Seventh ‘ ing-tone) "ye 76), § Major Second Dimin, Seventh 1 (75: 128) Augm, Second Major Sixth. Minor Third:5) Minot Sieh ii Major Third Augm. Fifth STON imi ge Fie ui Dimin. Fourth Dimin. Sixth 7 WIGS! augm. Third (675: t024) u Perfect Fifth FTTSIQN11) Perfect Fourth ea” Dimin, Fifth ihe ata Fi I i ‘Augm. Fourth Augm., Fourth ( 8) a ie ih i] Dimin. Fifth Perfect Fourth 17™0)/* i! t Fifth teat i il Perfect Fi Dimin. Fourth H4gQ vi (25: 32) l Y Augm. Fifth Meier Thin FON Minor sixth (4:5) il Minor Third oh es dee G36) IH ) i Major Sixth Dimin. Third FH] RIL Augm. Sixth (225: 256) 4 an. Si Major Second SST wr: - Malet Sco, i Minor Seventh Minor Second S fe i Gite i Major Seventh Augm. Prime Wiki... (iB 138) (8) i Dimin. Octave Perfect Prime S (r:1) lll 5 il Perfect Octave * The greater chromatic Second; the Le er (e + The greater whole tone; the le er (e. g. de) 104 INTIMO—ISO Minor, when a chromatic semitone narrower than major or Rarer. «Perfect: the Prime, Fourth, Fifth, and Octave.. Redundant, see Augmented... Sharp, see Augmented...Simple, when not wider than the Octave... Superfluous, see Augmented. In’timo,