Sing the Spots - Video training in Sight-Singing for the non-musician

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Skill: octaves

An octave is the interval between notes of the same name, for example, G and the next higher or lower G. It's also the interval between notes of the same scale number, for example, note 5 below the home note and note 5 above the home note are an octave apart. This is significant because notes an octave apart are functionally equivalent. Despite the name, which makes you think of 8 notes, an octave contains only 7 different notes; the 8 in "octave" includes the notes at both ends. The reason that notes an octave apart are so similar is that the vibrations of one are exactly twice as fast as the vibrations of the other. So the vibrations fit together and sound like they're almost the same note. You can get used to the sound of an octave by considering some songs that start with the melodic interval of an octave. (Somewhere, over the rainbow; Chestnuts roasting on an open fire; Bali-hai.) These are all note 1 to note 1. An example of note 5 to note 5 is (When you wish upon a star.)

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