Music by Numbers
Have you ever wondered what the “holy grail” of music might be? Imagine a skill that could allow you to effortlessly play any melody you hear or conceive in your mind, without hesitation or error. It sounds like magic, but it’s actually a skill that can be developed over time. The key lies in understanding the intervallic relationships between notes and knowing where these intervals are on your instrument.
The Three-Step Formula to Musical Freedom
Achieving this level of musicality involves three essential steps:
- Conceiving the Idea: This can be an idea you hear in your head or one you pick up from another musician.
- Hearing the Intervals: This step is all about ear training, developing the ability to recognize the intervals within that musical idea.
- Finding It on Your Instrument: This is the real challenge—translating those intervals into notes on your instrument.
Why Many Guitarists Struggle
Many guitarists learn through patterns and shapes. They master a lick in one specific position, in a certain key, and at a specific tempo. However, when faced with different musical contexts, they struggle to adapt. This is because they don’t grasp the intervallic framework underlying those licks. Without understanding these foundational structures, they find it difficult to apply their knowledge flexibly.
An Ear Training Experiment
Let’s use the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb” as a practical example. Nursery rhymes are often simple and diatonic, making them perfect for ear training exercises.
Can you play “Mary Had a Little Lamb” in the key of Bb around the 10th fret of your guitar? You might find this task harder than you think if you rely solely on trial and error. The melody in Bb is made up of the notes “d, c, bb, c, d, d, d,” which corresponds to the intervals 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 3, 3. Understanding this intervallic structure allows you to play this melody in any position on the guitar where you can locate a Bb major scale.
Why Interval Recognition is Crucial
Knowing the intervals of a melody offers two major advantages:
- Play the Melody in Any Position: Once you know the intervals of a melody, you can play it anywhere on the neck of your guitar. Whether you use three-notes-per-string patterns or other scale systems, interval knowledge allows you to break free from the constraints of one fixed position.
- Transpose Effortlessly: Since intervals remain the same across different keys, you can easily transpose a melody. If you understand “Mary Had a Little Lamb” as 3, 2, 1, you can play it in any key simply by applying the same interval pattern.
Applying Intervallic Thinking to Rock Riffs
Let’s take a more complex example: the riff from Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean.” This riff can be broken down into the intervals 8, 8, b7, 5, b3. Understanding the riff in this way allows you to play it in various positions on the fretboard and even transpose it into different keys with ease.
If you only know this riff in one specific location on the neck, you’re limited. But if you grasp its intervallic structure, you can integrate it into solos and other musical situations seamlessly.
Learning by Numbers: A Path to Musical Liberation
If you’re not accustomed to thinking in numbers, a good exercise is to write out your scale fingerings using integers instead of dots. This method simplifies the process of finding melodies and riffs anywhere on the neck. Think of it as “paint by numbers” for the guitar—once you recognize the numbers, you know where to “paint” the notes on your instrument.
The Practical Steps to Mastering This Skill
- Interval Training: Regularly practice recognizing intervals by ear. You can use ear training apps or work with a teacher to refine this skill.
- Map Intervals on the Fretboard: Familiarize yourself with where each interval lies within different scale shapes across the neck.
- Practice with Simple Melodies: Start with simple, familiar tunes and work your way up to more complex pieces.
- Apply in Real-Time: Try to apply this knowledge during jam sessions or when learning new songs. Begin to see every riff, melody, or solo as a series of intervals that you can adapt on the fly.
The Ultimate Goal: Musical Freedom
By learning to think in intervals, you’ll develop the ability to play what you hear instantly. This is the holy grail of musicianship—the ability to translate an idea into music in real time. It’s a skill that requires dedication and practice, but the freedom it brings is truly liberating.
Incorporating interval recognition into your practice routine will not only enhance your technical skills but also open up new avenues for creativity and musical expression. Alongside ear training, this approach can elevate your playing to new heights.
Ready to Explore More?
At Guitar Lessons Ithaca, we offer in-depth training on interval recognition and fretboard mastery. If you’re ready to take your playing to the next level, sign up for a free trial lesson. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced player, understanding intervals can transform the way you approach music.
Fill out this form to book your trial lesson, and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours. Let’s unlock the full potential of your musical creativity together!
