Play two notes a fret apart and you have summoned a shark. The semitone — the smallest interval in Western music — is instantly recognisable as the Jaws theme, and it is the perfect place to start training your ears.
In this lesson we explore intervals and melody on the bass, starting with the mighty semitone: what it is, where it lives on the neck, and how film composers use it to terrify audiences with just two notes.
What you'll learn
- What intervals are and why they are the building blocks of melody
- The semitone on the bass fretboard — and its unmistakable sound
- How to start recognising intervals by ear using famous tunes
Continue the interval journey with Fly Me To The Moon and Other Semitones, Major Seconds and Strangers and May the Perfect 4th Be With You.
Ear training works best with feedback — exactly what a one-to-one lesson provides.