Understanding Intervals in Music Theory:

Intervals are the building blocks of melodies and harmonies. When you’re soloing, understanding intervals helps you navigate the fretboard (on guitar) or keyboard (on piano), create melodic lines, and build tension or resolution in your playing. Here’s a deeper dive into intervals and their application in soloing.

Types of Intervals and How They Are Measured:

Intervals can be measured harmonically (when two notes are played simultaneously) or melodically (when two notes are played in sequence). The two primary components of intervals are:

1. Quantity (or size): This refers to the number of letter names or steps between two notes.
   • Unison (1st): Same pitch.
   • 2nd: One step (C to D).
   • 3rd: Two steps (C to E).
   • 4th: Three steps (C to F).
   • 5th: Four steps (C to G).
   • 6th: Five steps (C to A).
   • 7th: Six steps (C to B).
   • Octave (8th): Seven steps (C to C an octave higher).
2. Quality (Major, Minor, Perfect, Augmented, Diminished): This refers to the nature of the interval’s sound.
   • Major intervals (2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th): Typically brighter or happier in sound.
   • Minor intervals (2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th): Darker or more melancholic than their major counterparts.
   • Perfect intervals (1st, 4th, 5th, 8th): These intervals sound stable and consonant.
   • Augmented intervals: These are one semitone larger than major or perfect intervals, creating tension or a sense of expansion.
   • Diminished intervals: These are one semitone smaller than minor or perfect intervals, often used for tension and dissonance.

How Intervals Influence Soloing:

1. Melodic Motion: Intervals shape the emotional quality of your soloing. Larger intervals, like 4ths, 5ths, and octaves, can create drama and excitement, while smaller intervals (2nds and 3rds) give a smoother, more connected feel. Experimenting with both can add variation and interest.
2. Consonance and Dissonance:
   • Consonant intervals (perfect 4ths, perfect 5ths, major 3rds) sound stable, often used for resolving tension.
   • Dissonant intervals (minor 2nds, augmented 4ths, diminished 5ths) introduce tension. In soloing, you can play dissonant intervals to build a sense of unease or anticipation, then resolve to a consonant interval to provide a satisfying conclusion.
3. Voice Leading: Smooth transitions between notes (intervals of 2nds and 3rds) create flowing, lyrical lines. More dramatic jumps (like 6ths, 7ths, or octaves) add contrast and can make your solos feel more expansive.
4. Tension and Release: By combining consonant and dissonant intervals, you can control the flow of tension in your solos. For example, playing a minor 7th (a dissonant interval) before resolving to a perfect 5th gives your lines a sense of release.
5. Horizontal vs. Vertical Approach:
   • Horizontal (Melodic) Approach: When soloing melodically, you think in terms of the scale degrees and the distance between notes in the context of the key. Understanding the intervallic relationships within a scale lets you solo fluidly without getting stuck on specific patterns.
   • Vertical (Chordal) Approach: When soloing over chord changes, you can use intervals to outline the chord tones. Knowing that the root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th of a chord form strong interval relationships, you can emphasize these tones in your solo to create a strong connection to the harmony.

Using Intervals for Soloing:

1. Soloing with 3rds and 6ths:

• Major 3rds and minor 3rds: These are essential intervals for building melodic lines that sound harmonious and connected to the chord structure. In any major or minor scale, playing consecutive 3rds (C-E, D-F, E-G, etc.) creates a smooth, flowing solo.
• 6ths: The 6th interval is essentially an inverted 3rd (C-A, D-B, etc.). Using 6ths can give your solo a wider, more open sound while still sounding melodic and consonant.

Application: In a solo, you could outline a chord progression by playing lines in 3rds or 6ths. For instance, over a C major chord, you could play the intervals C-E (a major 3rd) and A-C (a minor 3rd).

2. Soloing with 4ths and 5ths:

• Perfect 4ths and 5ths: These intervals give your solo a strong, harmonically neutral sound. They don’t sound major or minor but instead feel open and powerful. Many modern soloists use these intervals to create “modal” sounds, especially in jazz and fusion.

Application: In modal jazz or rock, try soloing with 4ths and 5ths to create ambiguous, floating melodies that don’t strictly adhere to major or minor tonalities.

3. Soloing with Octaves:

• Playing octaves in a solo emphasizes a particular note and gives your solo a bold, rhythmic edge. Players like Wes Montgomery used octaves extensively in their solos to add power and depth.

Application: Over a simple progression, try soloing with octaves, moving the same note up or down an octave (C in one octave, C an octave higher), adding rhythmic interest by varying your attack or phrasing.

4. Soloing with Dissonance (Tritones and Minor 2nds):

• Tritones (augmented 4th/diminished 5th): This is the most dissonant interval, often used to create tension. In jazz and rock, the tritone is used in dominant chords and as a passing tone in solos.
• Minor 2nds: Another dissonant interval, which can be used to create a “crunchy” sound.

Application: Use tritones or minor 2nds to introduce tension before resolving to a more consonant interval (like a 5th or octave). This creates drama in your soloing and helps keep the listener engaged.

5. Chromatic Approach (Using 2nds):

• Chromaticism involves using intervals of minor 2nds or major 2nds to pass between target notes. These small intervals create a sense of forward motion.

Application: In a solo, you can use a chromatic run of minor 2nds (C, C#, D) to lead smoothly into a target note, like the 3rd of a chord.

6. Intervallic Leaps:

• Incorporating larger intervals, like 6ths, 7ths, and octaves, adds excitement and unpredictability to your solo. Instead of moving in small, scalar steps, jump across the fretboard (or keyboard) to create unexpected melodic twists.

Application: A leap from C to G (a perfect 5th) followed by a step down to E can create a surprising melodic line. Use these leaps sparingly to add contrast and drama.

Practice Techniques:

1. Interval Studies: Practice playing scales in intervals (thirds, fourths, etc.) to internalize their sound and feel.
   • Example: Instead of playing a C major scale in order (C, D, E, F…), play it in 3rds (C-E, D-F, E-G…).
2. Interval Mapping: Map out intervals across the fretboard (or keyboard). Know where all the major 3rds, perfect 5ths, and other intervals are located. This allows you to move fluidly between different intervals in your solo.
3. Chord Tone Soloing: Practice targeting chord tones (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th) using intervals to emphasize these notes in your solo, helping your lines sound more connected to the underlying chords.
4. Transcribe Solos: Listen to solos by great players (Wes Montgomery, John Coltrane, Pat Metheny, etc.) and analyze their use of intervals. You’ll often find that they use a combination of small intervals for smooth melodic lines and larger intervals for contrast and excitement.

Conclusion:

Intervals are a powerful tool for soloing because they shape the emotional and harmonic landscape of your lines. By understanding how different intervals affect the feel of your solo and practicing how to navigate them, you can create more dynamic, expressive, and engaging solos. Mix small intervals for smoother passages and larger intervals for excitement, while using dissonance and consonance strategically to build and release tension.

Written by admintech