Reference songs for ascending intervals
- Minor 2nd: the “Jaws” theme.
- Major 2nd: “Happy Birthday” (first two different notes).
- Minor 3rd: “Greensleeves”.
- Major 3rd: “When the Saints Go Marching In”.
- Perfect 4th: “Here Comes the Bride”.
- Tritone: “The Simpsons” theme.
- Perfect 5th: “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and the “Star Wars” theme.
- Minor 6th: “The Entertainer” (notes 3 and 4).
- Major 6th: “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”.
- Minor 7th: “Somewhere” from West Side Story.
- Major 7th: “Take On Me” (chorus leap).
- Octave: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.
A 10-minute daily routine
- 2 minutes: sing a major scale slowly, then a few intervals from the tonic.
- 5 minutes: interval quiz, starting with the easy set; move on at 90%.
- 3 minutes: chord quality quiz (major, minor, diminished, augmented).
Go further
Once intervals feel easy, play short melodies you know by ear on your instrument or the online piano. Every song you work out trains the same skill in a musical way.
Open the online piano