🎼 ABRSM Music Theory Guide: Intervals (Grades 1–5)

Understanding intervals is essential to reading music, analysing harmony, and building chords. Intervals are the distances between two notes, and you’ll see them everywhere in theory and practical playing.

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🔍 What Is an Interval?

An interval is the number of letter names and steps between two notes — for example, C to E is a third, because it spans three note letters: C–D–E.

But intervals also have a quality (major, minor, perfect, etc.) based on the number of semitones.

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🎓 Grade-by-Grade Requirements

🎵 Grade 1

• Recognise and write steps and skips (2nds and 3rds)
• Count letter names between two notes (e.g. C–E = a third)
• No need to identify quality yet

📌 Tip: Count from the lower note up, and include both notes when counting.

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🎵 Grade 2

• Identify and write intervals:
  • 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths
• Begin distinguishing major and perfect intervals
  • Focus on C major key

📌 Tip: Use the C major scale as your measuring stick — any interval that matches it is major or perfect.

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🎵 Grade 3

• Intervals up to an octave
• Understand:
  • Major, minor, and perfect intervals
  • Between tonic and any other note in a key

📌 Tip: A 4th or 5th is “perfect” if it matches the major scale.
If it’s one semitone smaller, it becomes diminished (for perfect intervals) or minor (for major intervals).

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🎵 Grade 4

• Recognise:
  • Augmented and diminished intervals
• Intervals above and below a given note
• Work in any key

📌 Tip: Start by writing out the scale of the lower note’s key to spot the correct interval quality.

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🎵 Grade 5

• Full mastery expected:
  • All interval numbers and qualities
  • From any note, ascending or descending
  • Both harmonic (played together) and melodic (played in sequence)

📌 Tip: Remember enharmonic equivalents (e.g. G♯–B is not the same as G–B)

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🧠 How to Work Out Intervals

1. Count the letter names

Example: C–G → C (1), D (2), E (3), F (4), G (5) = a fifth

2. Count semitones

Use a keyboard or piano app to count steps.

3. Know your interval qualities

Interval	Major	Minor	Perfect	Augmented	Diminished
2nd	M2	m2	—	A2	d2
3rd	M3	m3	—	A3	d3
4th	—	—	P4	A4	d4
5th	—	—	P5	A5	d5
6th	M6	m6	—	A6	d6
7th	M7	m7	—	A7	d7
8th	—	—	P8	A8	d8

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🎯 Practice Tips

🎧 Use Your Ear
Sing or play both notes. Try to hear the distance — 3rds and 5ths are especially recognisable.

🎹 Try it on a Keyboard
See the spacing between notes. Count how many semitones you find.

📝 Write Interval Drills
Choose a starting note and write each interval above it. Then below it. Use both treble and bass clefs.

🕹️ Online Resources

• Musictheory.net Interval Trainer
• Toned Ear Interval Ear Training

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✅ Summary by Grade

Grade	Required Intervals
1	2nds and 3rds (steps and skips)
2	2nds to 5ths (number only)
3	Up to 8ves, major/perfect/minor
4	Add augmented & diminished, all keys
5	Full interval ID, ascending & descending, any clef