By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Identify the inversion of any given simple interval and explain how inversions may be used to construct intervals below a given note.
Construct major, minor, Perfect, augmented, and diminished simple intervals below a given note on the staff.
Define melodic and harmonic intervals as consonant or dissonant.
Aurally identify 4ths and 5ths when played an an ascending, descending, or harmonic interval.
Read the sections "Intervallic Inversion" and "Consonance & Dissonance" in Intervals (OMT)
"Inversion of Intervals Explained" (MT21st)
Musition: Intervals (Lvl 10–11)
Auralia: Interval Recognition (Lvl 4–6)
Auralia: Interval Imitation (Lvl 5)
Auralia: Interval Singing (Lvl 4–5)
Quizlet Flashcards: Consonance & Dissonance, Inversions
MusicTheory.net: Construction Below, Aural ID (4ths/5ths)
Consonance & Dissonance: What is consonance and dissonance? What do these terms mean in terms of intervals? Sort the melodic and harmonic intervals into each category and discuss the implications of each in music. (As an example, listen to a harmonic A4 and P5. What is the perceptual difference between these intervals? Does one seem more stable/still than the other?)
Inversions: What are interval inversions? How does the quality of the interval change when it is inverted? What about the size? What do these have to do with constructing descending intervals?
Write and ID Simple Intervals: Practice writing intervals above a given note and identifying each by size and quality.
Constructing Intervals Below: Worksheet 1 (p. 2, Section 4), Worksheet 2 (Part B), Worksheet 3 (Part B), Worksheet 4 (Part 3), Worksheet 5 (Part 3), Worksheet 6 (Part 3), Worksheet 7 (Part 2).
Inversion, Construction, & ID: Worksheet 1 (p. 18–19)
Sing & ID Intervals: Practice singing P4, A4/d5, and P5 intervals above and below different pitches given at the piano. Sing each interval using the interval name (e.g. "perfect-fourth"). As you sing each, try to come up with song examples as a class that use that interval.
Then, practice aurally identifying each of these intervals by ear. Listen to the interval played, sing it back on a neutral syllable ("da-da"), then sing it back using the correct interval name ("perfect-fourth").
Interval Speed Challenge: Race against your classmates to see who can get the highest score in each level before the timer runs up. Record the highest running scores on the board. Scores only count if you have 100% correct, so accuracy matters. If you miss an interval, restart from the top! Work until your instructor yells "stop!".
Why do we perceive certain intervals as more consonant or dissonant? Is consonance and dissonance universal? Explore the topic from the perspective of neuroscience and psychoacoustics:
Check out Aniruddh Patel's video, "Consonance, Dissonance, and Musical Scales," to explore the question of universality and how brain processes lead to the perception of consonance and dissonance.
Or, check out Susan Roger's video, "Psychoacoustics: Explaining Tonotopicity, Consonance, and Dissonance," to explore frequency-specific "sweet-spots in the cochlea of the ear and how simultaneous frequencies interact to alter perception of consonance and dissonance.