A harmonic interval in music is the space between two notes played simultaneously. Intervals can be found everywhere in music: in melodies, scales and chords. Each interval has its own 'affect'. Learning to identify these affects is the first step to interval recognition.
Goals
In these exercises, you will learn to differentiate chords with stable or unstable properties.
Tips for success
Recognizing an 'affect' means identifying the basic emotional intention of a piece of music at any given time, according to its intervals. Here are some elements to help you:
- Stable = calm, harmonious, evenly blended
- Unstable = disjointed, tense, strange
Musical examples
Symbiosis, 2nd Movement (Andante) -
Bill Evans
Jazz
Claus Ogerman
In this example, you will hear a complex chord that, due to its dissonant and even strange nature, gives a strong sense of instability. This chord is then resolved with a second, more stable chord.
Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op.43: I. Allegretto - Poco Allegro - Tranquillo, Ma Poco a Poco Ravvivando Il Tempo Al Allegro -
Boston Symphony Orchestra & Sir Colin Davis
Classical music
Jean Sibelius
In this example, a sense of stability is created by a sequence of 3 major chords.
Minority Report (Original Soundtrack) -
John Williams
Soundtrack
John Williams
This example begins with an unstable chord. Additional notes are then added to make the chord sound even more unstable or dissonant.
