Tags: #intervals

All theory articles

Major and Minor Pentatonic Scales

Learn the difference between major and minor pentatonic scales: their formulas, characteristic degrees, parallel and relative relationships, chord choices, and guitar applications.

Reader level: Arranger

What Is Musical Ear?

A simple explanation of musical ear: what this skill is, what parts it includes, how to develop it, and why ear training matters not only for singers.

Reader level: Musician

Minor Triad: The 1–♭3–5 Formula

A simple explanation of the minor triad: what notes it contains, why it sounds different from a major triad, and how to see the formula on the fretboard.

Reader level: Musician

Melodic and Harmonic Intervals

A simple explanation of melodic and harmonic intervals: how notes played one after another differ from notes played together, how to hear the difference, and why it matters for musicians.

Reader level: Musician

Major Triad: The 1–3–5 Formula

A simple explanation of the major triad: what notes it contains, how it sounds, how to see it on the fretboard, and how it differs from a minor triad.

Reader level: Musician

Major, Minor, and Perfect Intervals

A simple explanation of interval quality: how a major third differs from a minor third, why fourths and fifths are called perfect, and how to see this on the fretboard.

Reader level: Musician

How to Train Intervals by Ear

A practical guide to interval ear training: how to hear melodic and harmonic intervals, avoid guessing, and connect your ear to the fretboard.

Reader level: Musician

Chord vs Fingering: What's the Difference

A simple explanation of the difference between a chord and a fingering: why the same chord can be played in different places on the fretboard and why guitarists need to understand this.

Reader level: Musician

What Is an Arpeggio in Music

A simple explanation of arpeggios: how they differ from chords, picking patterns, and scales, and how to hear and play them on guitar.

Reader level: Musician

Simple Intervals in Music

A simple explanation of intervals within one octave: how to count unisons, seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, sevenths, and octaves, how to hear them, and how to find them on guitar.

Reader level: Performer

How Triads Are Built

A simple explanation of triads: what a triad is, how it is built in thirds, how major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads differ, and how to see them on guitar.

Reader level: Musician

What Is a Chord in Music

A simple explanation of chords: what a chord is, how it differs from a single note and a fingering, how chords are built from intervals, and why guitar players need them.

Reader level: Musician

Tone and Semitone

A simple explanation of tones and semitones: how distances between notes work on guitar and why one fret equals one semitone.

Reader level: Performer