An interesting aspect of studying intervals is that each interval has its own characteristic generative capacity.
For example, if I start on any note and move repeatedly by a semitone (1), I encounter twelve notes before returning to the starting note. From the same starting note, moving by whole tones (2) gives six notes.
Each interval has a characteristic ability to reach other notes, which I will call “generativity”. This is particularly useful for composers and improvisers: using one interval exclusively generates a different number of notes depending on the interval chosen.
name
interval
generativity
m2
1
12
M2
2
6
m3
3
4
M3
4
3
P4
5
12
A4
6
2
| |