Interval Song Chart

Memorize intervals fast: a chart of well-known songs whose opening melody outlines each interval, ascending and descending. Click ▲ or ▼ to hear the interval in that direction.

Minor 2nd

1 semitones · m2

  • Jaws (theme)

    John Williams

  • White Christmas

    I. Berlin

  • Für Elise

    Beethoven

  • The Pink Panther

    Henry Mancini

  • Stormy Weather

    H. Arlen

  • Joy to the World

    Traditional

  • I Left My Heart in San Francisco

    G. Cory

Major 2nd

2 semitones · M2

  • Happy Birthday

    Traditional

  • Mary Had a Little Lamb

    Traditional

  • Frère Jacques

    Traditional

  • Silent Night

    F. Gruber

  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

    J. Marks

  • Yesterday

    The Beatles

  • The First Noel

    Traditional

Minor 3rd

3 semitones · m3

  • Greensleeves

    Traditional

  • Star Spangled Banner

    F. S. Key

  • Hey Jude

    The Beatles

  • Smoke on the Water

    Deep Purple

  • O Canada

    C. Lavallée

  • Brahms' Lullaby

    Brahms

  • Frosty the Snowman

    Nelson / Rollins

Major 3rd

4 semitones · M3

  • When the Saints Go Marching In

    Traditional

  • Summertime

    Gershwin

  • Kumbaya

    Spiritual

  • Oh, Pretty Woman

    Roy Orbison

  • Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

    Spiritual

  • Beethoven's 5th (opening)

    Beethoven

  • Man in the Mirror

    Michael Jackson

Perfect 4th

5 semitones · P4

  • Here Comes the Bride

    Wagner

  • Amazing Grace

    Traditional

  • Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

    Mozart

  • Auld Lang Syne

    Traditional

  • We Wish You a Merry Christmas

    Traditional

  • Born Free

    John Barry

  • O Christmas Tree

    Traditional

Tritone

6 semitones · TT

  • The Simpsons (theme)

    Danny Elfman

  • Maria (West Side Story)

    Bernstein

  • YYZ

    Rush

  • Blue Seven

    Sonny Rollins

  • Purple Haze

    Jimi Hendrix

  • Black Sabbath

    Black Sabbath

Perfect 5th

7 semitones · P5

  • Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

    Traditional

  • Star Wars (main theme)

    John Williams

  • Flintstones (theme)

    Hoyt Curtin

  • 2001: A Space Odyssey

    R. Strauss

  • Scarborough Fair

    Traditional

  • The Chicken Dance

    W. Thomas

  • Feelings

    M. Albert

Minor 6th

8 semitones · m6

  • The Entertainer

    Joplin

  • Black Orpheus (Manhã de Carnaval)

    L. Bonfá

  • Love Story (theme)

    F. Lai

  • In My Life

    The Beatles

  • Go Down Moses

    Spiritual

Major 6th

9 semitones · M6

  • My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean

    Traditional

  • NBC Chimes

    -

  • Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen

    Spiritual

  • Dashing Through the Snow (Jingle Bells)

    J. Pierpont

  • It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

    Traditional

  • Over There

    G. M. Cohan

Minor 7th

10 semitones · m7

  • Somewhere (West Side Story)

    Bernstein

  • Star Trek (theme)

    A. Courage

  • The Winner Takes It All

    ABBA

  • An American in Paris

    Gershwin

  • Watermelon Man

    Herbie Hancock

Major 7th

11 semitones · M7

  • Take On Me

    a-ha (chorus)

  • Bali Ha'i (South Pacific)

    Rodgers

  • Superman (theme)

    John Williams

  • Don't Know Why

    Norah Jones

  • I Love You

    Cole Porter

Octave

12 semitones · P8

  • Somewhere Over the Rainbow

    H. Arlen

  • Singin' in the Rain

    N. Brown

  • Willow Weep for Me

    Ann Ronell

  • The Christmas Song

    M. Tormé

  • Let It Snow

    Styne / Cahn

  • Blue Bossa

    Kenny Dorham

How to use this chart

For each interval, recall the title's first two notes. With practice you'll start to recognise that 'Twinkle Twinkle' opening for a perfect 5th, the Star Wars fanfare for the same interval, the Jaws theme for a minor 2nd, and so on.

Pair this with the Interval Finder for active practice - listen, guess, then check the chart for a song mnemonic if you missed it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I actually memorise these intervals?
Listen to each song's opening, hum it back, then sing the interval name out loud. Repeat over a week. After ~20 reps you'll recognise the interval by ear before the song name even comes to mind.
What if I don't know one of the songs?
Pick any song you do know that starts with the same interval. The mnemonic only works if it's instantly recognisable to you, so substitute freely with anything from your own listening history.
Is there an interactive trainer?
Yes, the Interval Finder plays random intervals and asks you to identify them by ear. Start there for active practice and use this chart as a reference whenever you blank on one.