Home | Back Issues | Other Mel Bay Sites | Purchase Bass Products
Anthony Wellington: The Thinking Man's (& Woman's) Bassist | In Search of the Perfect Custom Bass, Part 5
Guts, Gumption and Growth | Where's the Beat? | The Standard 12 Bar Blues | Basic Intervals

Basic Intervals

by Stefon Pizzuto

Welcome once again to our bi-monthly get-together. For our next two lessons we will be backtracking a bit by reviewing some very important, though often misunderstood theoretical issues. The first involves what is, in my opinion, one of the most useful tools in all of music application - the basic intervals.

If you read the third article I wrote for Mel Bay's Webzine, you will remember that we discussed inverted intervals, which are the mirror image of the intervals we will be exploring today. The basic intervals comprising this study are the most common intervals and have many practical applications, not only to the bass guitar, but to all instruments.

An interval is defined as the relationship between two notes. In simpler terms, this can be thought of as the distance from one note to another note. Intervals are the building blocks used to construct chords, scales, and arpeggios.

Below is a chart containing the intervals up to one octave. It is possible to have intervals greater than an octave, as we saw in our study of extended arpeggios, however, in this study we will only be dealing with the basic twelve.

1/2 step	=	minor 2nd
1 step	=	major 2nd
1 1/2 steps	=	minor 3rd
2 steps	=	major 3rd
2 1/2 steps	=	perfect 4th
3 steps	=	tritone
3 1/2 steps	=	perfect 5th
4 steps	=	minor 6th
4 1/2 steps	=	major 6th
5 steps	=	minor 7th
5 1/2steps	=	major 7th
6 steps	=	octave

The first interval we encounter is the minor 2nd. This also happens to be the smallest interval which is, of course, the half step. A few examples of minor 2nds are the notes G-G#, B-C, D-D#, and A-B flat. Any time you play a half step on the bass, you are playing a minor 2nd.

The next interval is the major 2nd which is one whole step. Some examples of major 2nds are the notes G-A, E flat-F, C# -D# and B flat-C. Again, any whole step you play on the bass is a major 2nd.

By playing up three frets, or a step and a half, you create the interval of a minor 3rd. Some examples of minor 3rds are the notes C-E flat, F-A flat, G#-B, and E-G. A major 3rd, therefore, would be two whole steps, or four frets higher, such as the notes B flat-D, F-A, and D-F#.

The perfect 4th is the next interval in our study. A perfect 4th is two and a half steps, or the distance of five frets above the root. This would include the notes A-D, E flat-A flat, and C# -F#, just to name a few.

Proceeding ahead to the next interval brings us to the tritone. A tritone is three steps, or the distance of six frets. This is probably the easiest interval to remember since the prefix "tri" means "three" and "tone" means "step". Examples of these are the notes G-C#, B flat-E, and D# -A.

After the tritone, we see the perfect 5th. A perfect 5th is three and a half steps, or seven frets above the starting tone. The notes C-G, F# -C# and E-B are all examples of a perfect 5th.

This brings us back to the minor/major pattern we saw in the first few intervals. Four steps, or eight frets, creates the interval of a minor 6th, such as the notes A-F, B-G, and F# -D. Four and a half steps, or nine frets, would then be known as a major 6th. This includes the notes F-D, C-A, and D flat-B flat to name a few.

Playing five steps, or ten frets, above the root produces the interval of a minor 7th. This is illustrated in the notes A-G, E flat-D flat, and F# -E. The major 7th, therefore, would be five and a half steps, or eleven frets, higher than the starting tone. Examples of this interval are the notes G-F#, B flat-A, and E-D#.

Finally, the last interval in our study is the octave. Although the prefix "oct" means "eight", the octave is actually only six steps, or twelve frets, above the root. The word "octave" is used because the interval is eight notes above the starting tone. Also, this is where we see the notes begin to repeat, as the octave is the same pitch as the root. Examples of an octave are the notes B-B, E flat- E flat, and G#-G#.

Occasionally, you will see abbreviations used for each of the different qualities. Maj, or simply M, stands for major. Minor is abbreviated min or just m. Root is R. Perfect and octave are per or P and oct or O, respectively. Aug or A is used for augmented and dim or d substitutes for diminished.

Now that we understand the concept of intervals, we will need to find a more practical way to play them on the instrument. Keeping all of the intervals on the same string would require too much movement up and down the neck. Therefore, we will occasionally need to move certain intervals across the strings.

The easiest interval to move across the strings is the perfect 4th. To play a perfect 4th from any given note, simply jump one string higher while remaining at the same fret. Examples of this would be the third fret G on the E string to the third fret C on the A string and the seventh fret A on the D string to the seventh fret D on the G string. Jumping two strings higher while remaining at the same fret produces the interval of a minor 7th. This can be seen at the fifth fret A on the E string to the fifth fret G on the D string and the eighth fret F on the A string to the eighth fret E flat on the G string.

Another interval that lays well on the bass is the perfect 5th. To play a perfect 5th from any note, move up two frets and one string higher. This is what guitarists refer to as a "power chord". Examples of perfect 5ths would be the first fret B= on the A string to the third fret F on the D string and the tenth fret C on the D string to the twelfth fret G on the G string. Jumping two frets and two strings higher creates an octave. The seventh fret B on the E string to the ninth fret B on the D string and the eighth fret F on the A string to the tenth fret F on the G string are two examples of an octave.

Once you master the placement of these four intervals-perfect 4th, perfect 5th, minor 7th, and octave-the remaining eight will easily fall into place. For example, to play a major 7th, either find the minor 7th and go up a half step or find the octave and go down a half step. When playing a major 6th, target the minor 7th and go down a half step or target the perfect 5th and go up a whole step. If you are seeking a minor 6th, move to the perfect 5th and go up a half step or move to the minor 7th and go down a whole step.

The interval known as the tritone is the fret located between the perfect 4th and perfect 5th, so either find the 4th and go up a half step or find the 5th and go down a half step. Playing the major 3rd can be accomplished by finding the perfect 4th and going down a half step or simply by playing two whole steps above the root. If you wish to play a minor 3rd, target the perfect 4th and go back a whole step or just go up a step and a half from the root note.

The minor 2nd and major 2nd are only a half step and a step above the root and, therefore, can be played without the aid of a guide tone. If you do wish to play either of these intervals on a higher string, however, just go to the perfect 4th and go down two steps for a minor 2nd or a step and a half for a major 2nd. Although this is not the most practical way to play these two intervals, you will occasionally need to utilize this method so I suggest you learn to find them both ways.

This should give you a great headstart toward mastering the intervals on the electric bass. I encourage you to try these intervals in every key. If you have further questions, feel free to contact me via my website www.stefonpizzuto.com. Until we meet again…good luck and keep practicing!

Stefon Pizzuto