For each interval, click on the notation images to listen on your browser's audio player, or use the players directly under the notation images. (Note: If you are using an older browser, you will need to have Flash installed.)
Listen to the interval with the pitches played together, ascending,
and descending.
Association with a familiar tune can be helpful for memorizing the sound
of an interval. The tunes listed just below each interval group begin with that interval (the first 2 notes are the interval, unless otherwise indicated).
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Minor 2nd [half step] |
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Fur Elise (Beethoven) — first 5 notes
We Will Rock You (Queen) — "We will..." Pink Panther — first 5 notes of the theme Jaws Dancing Queen (ABBA) "... danc-ing ..." Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) "... hello, hello, hello ..." September (Earth Wind and Fire) "... Ba de ya ..." |
Major 2nd [whole step] |
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Three Blind Mice — first 3 notes
Respect (Aretha Franklin) — the letters toward the end of the song "... R-E-S-P-C-T ..." Silent Night — first 3 notes |
Minor 3rd | |||
Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple) — first 2 notes
O Canada — first 2 notes, "O Can ..." Hey Jude (The Beatles) — first 2 notes, "Hey Jude ..." To Dream the Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha — first 3 notes, "To dream the ..." This Old Man (nursery rhyme) — first 6 notes, "This old man, this old man ..." |
Major 3rd | |||
Swing Low Sweet Chariot — first 3 notes of the tune, "Swing Low Sweet ..."
When the Saints go Marching In — first 2 notes, "Oh when ..." Summertime (Gershwin) — first 3 notes of the main tune, "Summer time ..." Beethoven's Fifth Symphony movement 1 — 3rd–4th notes of opening theme Don't Worry Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin) — "Don't Worry Be Happy ..." |
Perfect 4th | |||
Harry Potter movie theme — first 2 notes
Home on the Range — 2nd–3rd notes, "give me ..." Here Comes the Bride — first 2 notes, "Here comes ..." Amazing Grace — first 2 notes I've Been Working on the Railroad — first 2 notes, "I've been ..." Taps — 2nd–5th notes |
Augmented 4th (tritone) |
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Maria from West Side Story — first 2 notes of the main theme after the introduction, "Ma-ri ..."
The Simpsons TV theme — first 2 notes, "The Simp ..." |
Perfect 5th | |||
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star — 2nd–3rd notes, "... le twink ..."
ET movie theme — first 2 notes of main theme "Oh-we-oh" march/chant sung by the minions of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz Superman movie theme — 2nd–4th notes |
Minor 6th | |||
Love Story movie theme — first 5 notes, "Where do I begin ..."
The Entertainer (Joplin) — 3rd to 8th notes of the main theme after the introduction |
Major 6th | |||
On the Road Again (Willie Nelson) — 2nd–3rd notes, "... the road ..."
My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean — first 2 notes of the tune, "My Bon ..." Surfer Girl (Beach Boys) — first 2 notes, "Lit-tle ..." NBC (TV network chime) — first 2 notes Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen — 2nd–3rd notes, "No-bod ..." |
Minor 7th | |||
Somewhere from West Side Story — first 2 notes, "There's a ..."
Have You Driven a Ford Lately? vintage commercial tune — 5th–6th notes, "... a ford ..." Star Trek original TV theme — first 2 notes of the main theme after the introduction |
Major 7th | |||
Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory — 8th to 9th notes, "... a world ..."
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Perfect Octave |
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Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire — first 2 notes, "Chest-nuts ..."
Somewhere Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz — first 2 notes, "Some-where ..." |