Intervals on Guitar
3rds, 5ths, octaves and their sounds
What Are Intervals?
An interval is the distance between two notes. Understanding intervals means understanding how music creates emotion — each interval has a distinct character:
Unison (0 semitones): same note
Minor 2nd (1): dissonant, tense — the Jaws theme
Major 2nd (2): stepping, scale-like
Minor 3rd (3): sad, minor chord quality
Major 3rd (4): happy, major chord quality
Perfect 4th (5): open, strong — "Here Comes the Bride"
Tritone (6): unstable, dissonant — "The Simpsons"
Perfect 5th (7): powerful, hollow — power chords
Minor 6th (8): dark, dramatic
Major 6th (9): sweet, warm
Minor 7th (10): bluesy tension
Major 7th (11): dreamy, jazzy
Octave (12): same note, higher/lower
Intervals on the Fretboard
On guitar, intervals form consistent shapes. An octave is always 2 strings up and 2 frets over (with adjustment for the B string). A perfect 5th is always the same shape as a power chord. A major 3rd is always on the next string, 1 fret back (again with B string adjustment).
Learning these shapes lets you harmonise melodies, build chords from scratch, and instantly recognise relationships between notes.
Tab Examples
Common interval shapes from the A root (fret 5, string 6)
Octave: 5th: 3rd: e------------------------------------ B------------------------------------ G--------------------------2--------- D--7-----------7--------------------- A--------------7-----------2--------- E--5-----------5---------------------
Tips
- Learn interval sounds by associating them with familiar songs
- Power chords = root + perfect 5th. That's all they are.
- The 3rd determines major vs minor — learn to hear it
- Octave shapes are incredibly useful for root note finding
Practice Exercises
- Play each interval from A and learn its sound
- Identify intervals in songs you know — listen for 3rds, 5ths, octaves
- Play a melody in octaves (two notes, same pitch, different register)
- Harmonise a simple melody in 3rds