Removal Method For Figuring Out Difficult Intervals

Method: Remove accidentals and gradually reinsert them

What the heck is this interval?

1. Remove the sharps/flats and determine the interval. It's a major seventh. Much easier, right?

2. Add sharps or flats back in one at a time and ask yourself each time if the interval is a half-step larger or smaller.

You Need to Know the Progresive Size of Interval Quantity Names

What's a half-step smaller than a pefect interval? Why a diminished one of course!

Here's how the system works. I've listed the smallest intervals on the left and the biggest ones on the right. They're different for unisons/fourths/fifths/octaves than they are for seconds/third/sixths/sevenths.

Perfect Intervals (unisons/fourths/fifths/octaves)

Name	Doubly Diminished	Diminished	Perfect	Augmented	Doubly Augmented
Symbol	oo	o	P	+	++

Major/Minor Intervals (seconds/thirds/sixths/sevenths)

Name	Doubly Diminished	Diminished	Minor	Major	Augmented	Doubly Augmented
Symbol	oo	o	m	M	+	++

SUMMARY: The knowledge of the progressive sizes of interval quantity names will make it easier to figure out intervals. For example, if you know that a fourth is one half-step smaller than a perfect fourth, it must be a diminished fourth because that's how the interval quantity name changes when you reduce the size of a perfect interval by one half-step. In the same way, if you increase the size of a minor interval by on half-step it will become major. April 9, 2023 2:20 PM

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