An interval is the distance between two notes. By playing HALF steps and WHOLE steps on the keyboard, it's easy to figure what the interval between two notes is. First you need to know what a half step and a whole step is. Lets look at the following example.

The half step is highlighted in green The whole step is highlighted in blue.

Starting on middle C we begin playing an ascending Chromatic scale. That is going upward from middle C one half step at a time to G. Notice that from C to C# is a half step and that C to D is a whole step. If you were to go downward from G one half step you would be descending to F#.

So how many half steps make a whole step? That would be two. Also note that there are more whole steps than what is highlighted in blue. C# to D# for instance.

Interval Chart
Below is the Chromatic scale ascending from middle C one octave to C.

The tonic is the first note of a scale. For this example, the interval is based on the distance from the tonic note. Because the chromatic scale is ascending, sharps (#) are used.

Using the chart above, identify the following notes by the interval name and play it on your keyboard. From the tonic note find:

Answer: How many 1/2 steps is in a minor third interval? Three
             How many 1/2 steps is in a major 3rd interval? Four

If you were to continue playing the scale past the C above middle C, the numbers continue going higher. For instance 9 would be after 8. The 9 is a D just as the 2 is except it is an octave higher. We will use 9's in the following lessons.

Now that you have been introduced to intervals lets see if we can make more sense of the above while introducing you to Scales.