Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman,

and in this lesson we're going to dive deep into exploring two intervals that are so important,

they are the foundation of almost all scales in music.

If you've been doing my earlier lessons, you actually already know these intervals as half steps and whole steps,

but today we're going to learn them by their more formal names: minor seconds and major seconds.

And we're going to learn tools for training both your ears and eyes to be able to recognize them quickly

when you see or hear them. Let's come to the piano to get started.

What is a minor second?

A minor second is the same as a half step, which means two keys so close together there is no key in between.

This is a minor second between E and F.

Also between F and F-sharp is a minor second.

F-sharp to G is another minor second, however F to G

is not a minor second because there's a key in between. Anytime there's a key in between, not a minor second.

Composers use minor seconds in a lot of different ways.

One way that composers love to use minor seconds is for something really emotional or passionate, romantic

with a lot of feeling. Like the start of "Fur Elise" is very famous for the use of those

two notes just a minor second apart: E and D-sharp.

And notice how that minor second creates such a sweet,

loving, beautiful sound. Lots of composers have used that since Beethoven first wrote

"Fur Elise." Like the composer Yiruma recently in "River Flows in You",

notice that use of a minor second between this A and the G-sharp also creates a really sweet sound.

Just see how beautiful and sweet that minor second can be.

But minor seconds aren't always sweet. They can also be very intense, especially if played down low on the piano.

Like for the "Jaws Theme."

John Williams uses a minor second down very low

To make a very intense and dangerous sound.

So that's the theme from "Jaws."

Minor seconds also can sound mysterious if used in a context like in the "Pink Panther Theme",

notice we've got a C-sharp down low going up a minor second, up another minor second, up another minor second all in a row paired

with the same thing up here.

Notice those are all minor seconds, and the melody too also has a lot of minor seconds.

The "Pink Panther Theme" is built all on minor seconds. Look, we've got D-sharp E, that's a minor second.

F-sharp G, another minor second.

Another minor second up here C B. Notice no key in between any of those.

Creates a really mysterious sound in that context.

When you have a major scale, like here's our C major one octave scale, you'll always find the minor second between MI and FA,
and between TI and DO.

Like for example, let's take the D major scale.

Where are the minor seconds? Once again between MI and FA, and TI and DO. That's where you'll find the minor seconds.

Always in a major scale you'll find them between the third and fourth notes,

the seventh and eighth notes. DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO.

that's what makes a major scale sound major is where those minor seconds are placed.
Now let's practice looking for minor seconds in a score.

Here's Mozart's famous "Rondo Alla Turca."

Can you find the minor seconds in the score?
Here in the first two measures plus pick up, pause the video and look through the right hand part,

and see if you can find there are a few minor seconds. Can you find them all?

Okay we have some minor seconds right here at the start with this A and G-sharp.

We also have some minor seconds with the C B C,

and then another minor second right here from F to E,

and last of all here from E to D-sharp, back to E.

And this is one case where I think these minor seconds are giving kind of a mysterious, exciting sound.

Next, let's take a look at measure 13 from "Prelude in C Minor", which we've been learning recently.

Can you find the minor second here in measure 13?
Pause the video to find it, then press play and we'll check it out.

Here in the right hand part we have an A natural and then a B-flat. Flat because of the key signature, and that forms a minor second.

And notice here I think it creates an intense sound.

Notice that kind of tension created there.

Now let's play a little minor second hunt game.

Here are two intervals.

Can you figure out which one of these is a minor second? It might help to try and play it on your piano.

Find the ...