Welcome to the second part of this series on how to identify the music intervals!

In Part 1, we talked about:

  • The ascending minor 2nd
  • The ascending major 2nd
  • The ascending minor 3rd.

Today we will cover:

  • The ascending major 3rd
  • the ascending perfect 4th
  • The ascending augmented 4th
  • The ascending perfect 5th.


💡 To refresh your mind on what those interval names mean, check out our dedicated article here.

How to identify ascending major thirds

A major 3rd has 4 semitones, as we discussed here. Just to refresh your mind, each interval type carries a distinct characteristic in its sound profile, and the way to identify them is to get used to the sound of each. Below, let's listen to some examples of ascending major 3rds:

  • B - D#
  • C - E
  • Ab - C
  • G - B

Note that G-C♭ is made of 4 semitones, too. But the name of this interval is diminished 4th. Since major 3rds and diminished 4ths have the same interval width (4 semitones), they share the same distinct sound, despite their different names in theory.

I have a very popular song that will help you remember this interval! The first two notes below correspond to an ascending major 3rd:

How to identify ascending perfect fourths


Do you remember how many semitones you can find in a perfect 4th?
Hopefully you remember - it's 5 semitones!

Let's listen to some examples:

  • B - E
  • E - A
  • Ab - Db
  • C - F

The song I want to share as a reference for this interval is ''La Marseillaise'' (it's catchy, after all, and also the founders of Flat are French 🇫🇷!).

The first two notes of France's national anthem create a perfect fourth:

How to identify ascending augmented fourths

An augmented 4th, as you might know from this article, has 6 semitones.

👀 Fun fact, this interval is often called a ''triton''.

Let's listen to some examples:

  • B - E#
  • F - B
  • C - F#
  • G - C#

Note that B-F is made of 6 semitones, too, but the name of this interval is a diminished 5th. Since augmented fourths and diminished fifths have the same width (6 semitones), they share the same distinct sound, despite their different names in theory.

Hopefully you'll always remember this interval with the reference below. The first two notes of the melody in theme to The Simpsons is an augmented fourth!

How to identify ascending perfect fifths


Time for the last interval we will review today: the perfect fifth! This interval has 7 semitones.

Let's listen to some examples:

  • B - F#
  • E - B
  • G - D
  • Bb - F

The song I have for this one is "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley (1961). The first two notes of the opening melody is a perfect fifth:

That's all for now. My advice, again, is to sit at your keyboard or use the virtual one in Flat and get these down by practicing and listening!

See you in the next article,

Articles in the series about intervals: