In music, an interval is the distance between two notes and is the basic building block for melodies, scales and harmony (chords). The smallest interval in Western music is a semitone (ST).
The scale degrees derive from the major scale that's the reason I refer to b or flat degrees.
Here is a list of all the intervals, the corresponding scale degrees and their sound character:
| Interval | Scale Dagree | Sonic Character |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect Unison (0 ST) | 1st Degree | Perfectly identical, stable, quiet. |
| Minor Second (1 ST) | b2nd Degree | Dissonant, full of tension, oppressive. |
| Major Second (2 ST) | 2nd Degree | Dissonant, beginning of the major scale. |
| Minor Third (3 ST) | b3rd Degree | Consonant, melancholic, typically sad for a minor key. |
| Major Third (4 ST) | 3rd Degree | Consonant, cheerful, optimistic, typical for major. |
| Perfect Fourth (5 ST) | 4th Degree | Stable, open, neutral. |
| Tritone (6 ST) | #4th/b5th Degree | Dissonant, restless, great tension (devil's interval). |
| Perfect Fifth (7 ST) | 5th Degree | Stable, supports basic tone. |
| Minor Sixth (8 ST) | b6th Degree | Consonant, melancholic, warm. |
| Major Sixth (9 ST) | 6th Degree | Consonant, cheerful, warm. |
| Minor Seventh (10 ST) | b7th Degree | Dissonant, strives for resolution one HT down. |
| Major Seventh (11 ST) | 7th Degree | Dissonant, strives for resolution one HT upwards. |
| Perfect Octave (12 ST) | 8th Degree | Perfectly harmonious, stable. |
| Minor Ninth (13 ST) | b9. Stufe (b2. oktaviert) | Dissonant, intense, emotional tension. |
| Major Ninth (14 ST) | 9. Stufe (2. oktaviert) | Neo soul flavor. |
| Minor Tenth (15 ST) | 10th Degree | Melancholic, like a minor third, but more intense. |
| Major Tenth (16 ST) | 10th degree (3rd in octave) | Cheerful, bright, like a major third, but more expansive. |
| Perfect Eleventh (17 ST) | 11th Degree (4th degree in octave) | Stable, like fourth, creates space in the harmony. |
| Augmented Eleventh (18 ST) | #11. Stufe (Tritonus oktaviert) | The juice of the Maj7/#11 chords. |
| Perfect Twelfth (19 ST) | 12th Degree (5th degree in octave) | Powerful, stable, like a fifth, but in a higher register. |
| Minor Thirteenth (20 ST) | b13. Stufe (b6. oktaviert) | The juice of the Min11/b13 chord. |
| Major Thirteenth (21 ST) | 13. Stufe (6. oktaviert) | The Juice of the Maj#11/13 chord. |
| Minor Fourteenth (22 ST) | b14th Degree (b7th degree in octave) | Exciting, dissonant, like a minor seventh, but with more space. |
| Major Fourteenth (23 ST) | 14th Degree (7th degree in octave) | Very dissonant, strives for resolution, like a major seventh. |
| Perfect Fifteenth (24 ST) | 15. Stufe (doppelte Oktave) | Identical to the octave, only one octave higher. |
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