Intervals · Step 10
Up, down and together
The same interval arrives three ways. Ascending, the second note is higher; descending, it is lower; harmonic, both sound at once. The distance is identical every time, but your ear meets it differently: a falling minor third has a colour of its own, and two notes struck together hide which one came first.
Until now every interval in this course went up. This round mixes all three directions, so the song trick needs a second set of anchors — a falling major third opens “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”, a falling minor third opens “Hey Jude”, a falling fifth opens The Flintstones — or, more simply, learn to hear the size regardless of the direction. Most players end up doing both. Major third, minor third and perfect fifth, any way round.