A · Worked example
Perfect fifth
Sounding pitches: A4 · E5
The fourth spans five semitones and the fifth seven. Follow the full distance between the two pitches.
A4 to E5: 7 semitones, ascending. Perfect fifth.
Listen, compare, then practise
A perfect fourth spans five semitones; a perfect fifth spans seven. Focus on the wider spacing of the fifth.
B · Compare the difference
Perfect fourth
Sounding pitches: A4 · D5
Compare the labeled fourth and fifth directly. Both belong to the perfect interval family, but the fifth is wider.
A4 to D5: 5 semitones, ascending. Perfect fourth.
For aural examples, sounding pitch names are a listening reference. Written-note exercises preserve the displayed spelling.
Check the idea: A perfect fifth is two semitones wider than a perfect fourth.
1 · Guided practice
Listen once for direction, again for width, and choose the closer labeled example.
2 · Independent practice
Identify fourths and fifths on different starting notes. Avoid using a single remembered song opening as the only test.
3 · New-question check
Name the fresh interval after resetting to its first pitch, including descending examples when selected.
Each session starts with two guided questions, then your chosen practice set, followed by two new questions at a different tempo. First answers, same-question retries, and the final check have separate results.
Begin this lessonChoose your practice
Beginner
90 quarter-note BPM · 4/4 · With guidance
Perfect fourth ascending, Perfect fifth ascending
Practice this levelDeveloping
95 quarter-note BPM · 4/4 · Fewer hints
Perfect fourth descending, Perfect fifth descending
Practice this levelChallenge
100 quarter-note BPM · 4/4 · Fewer hints
Perfect fourth ascending, Perfect fifth ascending, Perfect fourth descending, Perfect fifth descending
Practice this levelIf this feels difficult
- The larger leap is hard to retain. Re-establish an octave as a larger reference. Unison and Octave
- Direction obscures the gap. Track up/down without naming a size first. Higher or Lower
Practice on paper or with a teacher
The teacher pack includes 10 fixed questions, replay controls, a student sheet, and a separate answer key. The printed key and downloaded JSON use the same questions.
Download an audio example
Original synthesized audio · A4 = 440 Hz · mono, 48 kHz WAV.
Related skills
Musical background
These references explain the underlying definitions. The examples and practice sequences here are generated for Earstep.