"Music Intervals Spotlight
On The Major Third!"

Our attention to music intervals focuses on the Major Third with this lesson. Understanding what it is won't take long. As long as you have a handle on what half steps and whole steps are you've got it made.

Just a little note worth mentioning here. The Major Third interval - or Major 3rd - is often notated like this: M3

In simple terms, a Major Third (M3) interval consists of four half steps.

Since a whole step is exactly twice the size of a half step, you could also look at it this way:

A Major Third consists of two whole steps.

Let's take a look:

From any note of your choice, move up or down four half steps (or two whole steps) and you have created a Major Third.

The following illustration shows two examples:

Now, although I was explaining this in terms of moving up from G, the opposite is also just as true - if your starting point was B, and you moved down four half steps, then the key you would land on is G. So it stands to reason that G is a Major Third down from B. That's pretty easy, don't you agree?

Again, I'd like to point out that, since two half steps is the same as one whole step, how you think about creating the music intervals is up to you (moving up four half steps is the same as moving up two whole steps, etc). As long as the distance in terms of the number of notes (or keys) your are moving is correct, that's what matters.

You could easily recognize a Major Third interval on the piano keyboard like this: when two keys are being played and there are exactly three keys in between them, you know you have a Major Third interval.

By the way, if you were to play that G followed by the B (or the B followed by the G) - in other words, play them separately, this music interval would be known as a melodic interval, since that would in fact be a little melody on its own.

If you were to play them together, then you would have created harmony - that is why the music interval you'd be playing is called a harmonic interval.

Pretty interesting, eh?

Okay, let's take a look at the second music interval toward the higher end of the piano keyboard in the illustration above. An Major Third interval from C# to F is shown, right? There are exactly three keys in between these two keys when played on the piano, correct? Yes! So, my question to you:

Is C# to F considered a Major Third interval? Think about it for a minute and then proceed...

Answer: no!

"Whaaaaaaat? Doesn't that go against what we just said about Major Third intervals?" you may be asking.

Let's clear it up right here - the easy way:

Yes, when you play these two keys on the keyboard, you are playing a Major Third. However, when you give this music interval a name that interval must represent two letter names that have only one letter in between! So, C# and F. Just thinking in terms of letters, from "C to F" we actually have a span of "C D E F."

Another way of saying it: the letters C and F have two letters in between them, which are D and E. This can't be. So we have to change one of them. We do it like this:

We consider the enharmonic spellings of these note names. You see, C# is also Db, right? Yes. So, Db to F would be fine. Why? Because from "D to F" there is only one letter in between, which is E?

An interval can only be considered a "third" if only three letters are inclusive.

The other thing we could have done is to stick with the C# and change the F to an E#. See, C# to E# spans only three letters. Therefore, it is correct to say that this music interval is a Major Third.

Now, time out for a second here. You may be asking, "This makes it confusing - why can't we just look at it one way?" And you are right, it can be confusing when you're first learning intervals. But the great part of all this is that, once you do understand why, it makes all the sense in the world.

Music theory is a whole world of exploration that you can certainly get excited about looking forward to diving into.

And there's more good news: you don't have to understand this right now. Having a full understanding of the theory behind all of this right now is not going to necessarily help you accelerate your piano playing ability at this point.

Remember what I say quite often throughout this site - you don't have to know everything to enjoy yourself and make progress. After all, if you knew everything, would there be any room for progress? Hmmmmm?

Getting back to that second example above: both C# to E# and Db to F are correct. So we could say E# is a Major Third up from C# or C# is a Major Third down from E#. The same holds true for Db and F.

Wow, you're doing great by getting to this point! Please allow me to applaud you!

Have some fun by playing any key on the piano at random. Now, go up a Major Third and see what you key you land on. This time, start on the same key and go down a Major Third. What key is it? Just check your accuracy by counting the keys that exist between those two keys you are playing - there should be three.

After a while (a shorter while than you may think), these Major Third intervals will seem like they're "popping" out at you. Have fun identifying music intervals!

Have you started becoming acquainted with the basic chords yet? If so, now is an excellent time to go back to them (at your convenience, of course). Take a look at the major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords. Play at least one of each and, as you do, try to locate the Major Third intervals that exist.

Did you find any in the major triad? minor triad? diminished triad? augmented triad? If so, how many in each? Take your time finding them. After you do this, we'll start opening those ears of ours!

Okay, let's do a little ear training, shall we?

Sing or hum the first part of When The Saints Go Marching In. Now do it again, only more slowly. Really listen to those first two notes of this song. What you are hearing, if you are singing/humming it correctly, is a Major Third interval up!

That's right, that's how easy it is to know what a major 3rd sounds like. Now you know how to identify a Major 3rd interval at any given time.

Let's play the same type of game with a different tune. How about singing Summertime. Listen closely to those first two notes. That's what a Major Third interval interval down sounds like! You see, you really do have a "musical ear" you were born with. You just need to learn to become more aware of it!

Friend, this kind of "sound awareness" is what professional musicians use when playing music by ear. After a while, it just gets easier and easier, and you don't even have to think about it. But even then, there's another level of progress one can look forward to.

The secret to making awesome progress? Here it is: Make it a habit to enjoy each and every little step along the way. That truly is it. When you commit to having fun with every second of your involvement with music, the progress you make will come in leaps and bounds. The funny thing is, it will happen so naturally that you will often not realize it!

Fun is the name of the game.

Here's how you can take this ear training further...

Go to your piano or keyboard, play any key you wish to, black or white. Sing the note that you just played right along with it. From that note you are singing, sing a Major Third interval up - use the beginning of When The Saints Go Marching In to help you (of course, there are other songs that start with the Major Third interval).

Now play the key that matches your voice. Remember, you know you are correct if there are exactly three keys in between the two keys you played. Go ahead and do it again, and again, and again.

Do this again, only with the Major Third interval down. Play any key, match the note with your voice, then sing down a Major Third interval - Summertime will help - then play the key to match your voice. Then check yourself by making sure you have three keys in between the two you played. Repeat with other keys and have a ball!

This is playing by ear! And you're getting a handle on it... good for you!

This has been a good exploration of the Major Third music interval. I have a lot of fun talking and writing about music intervals and the role they play in our everyday piano playing experience, and I hope my passion for doing all this is contagious!

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