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Consonant Intervals: "Star Spangled Banner" Melody Example
Most of the time, music consists of a tune with instrumental accompaniment. The tune seems to float or bounce along on top of the chords, which provide depth and color. With or without instrumental accompaniment, the tune or melody actually consists of a succession of intervals, not a succession of notes.
The first six notes of “The Star Spangled Banner”—“O-oh say can you see”—form five successive consonant intervals. Here they are (Table 18):
TABLE 18 First Five Consonant Intervals of “The Star Spangled Banner”
| O – oh | Minor third, moving down (three semitones) |
| oh – say | Major third, moving down (four semitones) |
| say – can | Major third, moving up (four semitones) |
| can – you | Minor third, moving up (three semitones) |
| you – see | Perfect fourth, moving up (five semitones) |