Intervals: Unisons and Octaves
If you've been following my blog, we've been talking a whole lot about intervals for the last several weeks. Today's lesson is the final lesson about intervals (at least for a while).
So from last week, we learned that sevenths are the intervals created by skipping over 5 tones in the scale. This week, we're going to talk about two special intervals: the unison and the octave.
Unison
A unison interval is a special interval that happens when you play more than one instance of the same tone at the same time. There are not a lot of instruments that can even do this, but by virtue of the guitar having multiple strings, we can play the same tone on more than one string simultaneously.
Try it! If you play your open A string along with your low E string on fret 5, these are the same tone. It's easiest to play unisons on adjacent strings on the guitar. Why would you ever play a unison? There are a number of reasons, but mostly what you'll find is that by having two (or more) instances of the same tone played simultaneously, that tone is intensified and accentuated.
Octave
The other interval we're talking about today is the octave. The octave interval is when you skip over all the tones in the scale until get to the same tone (just 12 half-steps higher).
With both unisons and octaves, there are no major, minor, diminished, or augmented variations. The only unison for an A is another A that is 0 half-steps above. The only octave for an A is the A exactly 12 half-steps above.
Discussion
Octaves and unisons play an important role in music. When we want to "thicken" or emphasize musical ideas, we can double the important parts using unisons (this can be done by simply recording the same ideas more than once, or by having a fellow musician play the same part on their instrument).
A similar effect can be had using octaves. Adding a part that is an octave higher can give the part more drama and brilliance. Adding a part that is an octave lower can add power and depth.
Summary
So here's a round-up of all the "harmonic" or "musical" intervals we've learned about and their corresponding half-step "raw" intervals:
Interval : half-steps
---------------------------
unison : 0
minor 2nd : 1
major 2nd : 2
minor 3rd : 3
major 3rd : 4
perfect 4th : 5
augmented 4th : 6
diminished 5th : 6
perfect 5th : 7
minor 6th : 8
major 6th : 9
minor 7th : 10
major 7th : 11
octave : 12
Looking Ahead
Next week we are going to start dipping our toes into the water of "chords". If you're not clear on any of the intervals, go back through the past weeks and reread the lessons, and if you're still not getting it, drop me a line. Intervals are the fundamental building blocks for chords, so I want to make sure you're got them down before we go any further.
Reminder
If you have ANY questions or comments, please leave a comment here, on my Facebook page, or tweet at me (@chrisstarkgtr).
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