OK, I have this worksheet from music theory and it is killing me. It gives a sheet full of measures with two notes and you need to identify the intervals. Maybe I could give you the first three and you could help explain this to me? My instructor isn't cutting it. I need that *lightbulb* moment.

For example..

F to E sharp

E to D

B to F

How can I tell the difference between major, minor, augemented, diminished? I know it has to do with certain ones only applying to thirds, fourths, fifths etc…but what about the ones (like thirds) that can be more than one category…please help. Thanks.

Ok, to determine intervals what you do is count the number of half steps. A half step is the distance from note to note. So A to A# (A sharp) is a half step. Then A# to B is another half step. This pattern continues except for a few exceptions. One half step up from E is an F, not an E sharp. Music theory teachers like to call it an E sharp just to confuse you and be technical (not kidding, it makes no sense), but really E sharp and F are the same exact note. The same thing works for B to C. Think of it as there being no E sharp and no B sharp.

Ok so for those problems….since an F and an E sharp are really the same note, that interval is one whole octave (12 half steps). For the next one

E>F>F#>G>G#>A>A#>B>C>C#>D is 10 half steps, which is the interval called a minor 7th. (Note that if it went up 2 more half steps, D>D#>E, then you would be back where you started at E because that total of 12 half steps is an octave)

The next one

B>C>C#>D>D#>E>F is 6 half steps. 5 half steps equals an interval of a 4th and 7 half steps equals an interval of a 5th. So 6 half steps is in between that, its an augmented 4th.

The other stuff is a real pain to explain because its basically useless when talking about music. I'll put a link in the source box. I really hope that at least helps somewhat, and I regret not being able to explain it better.

1) one octave

2) diminished 7th (i think)

3) errrrm… i dont know sorry! (its been a while since i did grade 5 theory….)