[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP. Skeleton score in Insert.] Study the two notes shown on the staff below. (a) What is the interval betw...
Question 1 Report
[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP. Skeleton score in Insert.]
Study the two notes shown on the staff below.
(a) What is the interval between these two notes? [1]
(b) Describe whether this interval sounds consonant or dissonant. [1]
[Total: 2 marks]
Answer Details
(a) A perfect 5th [1]
The SVG score shows two notes on a treble clef staff. The first note sits on a ledger line below the staff (middle C), and the second note sits on the middle line of the staff (B line area, which in treble clef is G). Counting up from C to G: C(1)-D(2)-E(3)-F(4)-G(5) gives an interval of a 5th. Because C to G spans three whole tones and one semitone (3.5 tones), it is a perfect 5th. Perfect intervals (unison, 4th, 5th, octave) are so named because they were considered the most pure and stable intervals in early Western music theory.
(b) Consonant [1]
The perfect 5th is classified as a consonant interval. It sounds stable, clear, and harmonious to the ear. Consonance refers to combinations of pitches that feel resolved and at rest, as opposed to dissonant intervals (such as a minor 2nd or tritone), which create tension and a sense of unrest. The perfect 5th is one of the most consonant intervals after the unison and the octave, and it forms the foundation of many chords and harmonic systems across musical traditions worldwide.
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