A. Dance / C. Music · Music and Dance

Music: Ledger Lines and Intervals

C1.5 C1.1 C2.2About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can read notes on ledger lines above and below the treble and bass staffs.
I can name an interval by its number (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, octave).
I can tell major, minor and perfect intervals apart by counting half steps.
I can sing or play some intervals using songs I know as reminders.

Words to know

ledger line
A short line added above or below the staff for notes that are too high or too low to fit on it.

interval
The distance in pitch between two notes.

half step (semitone)
The smallest distance on a keyboard: from one key to the very next key, black or white.

major interval
One of the larger-sounding 2nds, 3rds, 6ths or 7ths. A major 3rd is 4 half steps.

minor interval
One half step smaller than a major interval. A minor 3rd is 3 half steps.

perfect interval
The name for unisons, 4ths, 5ths and octaves that match the major scale.

octave
An interval of 8 letter names, like C up to the next C. Both notes have the same name.

Remember from earlier grades

In Grade 4 you named intervals as unison, step, skip and leap. In Grade 5 you read bass clef and found middle C on a ledger line in both clefs.

This year you'll read more ledger-line notes and give intervals their exact names, like major 3rd or perfect 5th.

Ledger lines

The staff has only five lines. When a note is too high or too low, we add short ledger lines. Keep the line-space pattern going: line, space, line, space...

Treble clef, below: middle C on one ledger line, B just below it, A on the second ledger line.

Treble clef, above: G sits just above the top line (no ledger line), A on the first ledger line, B above it, C on the second ledger line.

Ledger-line notes in treble clef. Below the staff: A (two ledger lines), B (just under one ledger line) and middle C (on one ledger line). Above the staff: A (on one ledger line), B (just above it) and C (on the second ledger line).

Bass clef, above: the top line is A. B sits just above it, and middle C is on one ledger line above. Bass clef, below: the bottom line is G, F is just under it, and E is on one ledger line below.

Tip: don't count every ledger line from scratch. Start from a note you know (like the top line) and step up or down: line, space, line.

Naming intervals by number

To find an interval's number, count the letter names from the bottom note to the top note, and include both.

C to E: C, D, E = 3 letters, so a 3rd.
C to G: C, D, E, F, G = 5, a 5th.
C to the next C: 8, an octave.

On the staff: line to the next line (or space to the next space) is a 3rd. Line to line is always an odd number (3rd, 5th, 7th); line to space is always even (2nd, 4th, 6th, octave).

Intervals going up from middle C in C major: major 2nd (C–D), major 3rd (C–E), perfect 4th (C–F), perfect 5th (C–G), major 6th (C–A) and perfect octave (C–C).

Major, minor and perfect

Two 3rds can have the same number but sound different. To tell them apart, count half steps on a keyboard (every key counts, black or white).

Counting half steps on a keyboard. C up to E is 4 half steps (a major 3rd). A up to C is 3 half steps (a minor 3rd).

Interval	Half steps	From C	A song that starts with it (going up)
major 2nd (M2)	2	C–D	Frère Jacques ("Frè-re")
minor 3rd (m3)	3	C–E♭	O Canada ("O Ca-")
major 3rd (M3)	4	C–E	Oh When the Saints ("Oh when")
perfect 4th (P4)	5	C–F	Here Comes the Bride ("Here comes")
perfect 5th (P5)	7	C–G	Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star ("-kle, twin-")
major 6th (M6)	9	C–A	My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean ("My Bon-")
perfect octave (P8)	12	C–C	Somewhere over the Rainbow ("Some-where")

Some intervals, their size in half steps, and song starters to help you hear them. In Twinkle, the 5th is between the second and third notes (C–G).

Worked example

Example: Let's name an interval

Name the interval from D up to F.

Number: D, E, F = 3 letter names, so it's a 3rd.
Quality: count half steps from D: D♯ (1), E (2), F (3). That's 3 half steps.
A major 3rd has 4 half steps; a minor 3rd has 3.

D to F is a minor 3rd.

Worked example

Example: Let's read ledger lines and find an interval

In treble clef, a whole note sits on the first ledger line below the staff, and the next note sits on the second line of the staff. Name both notes and the interval.

First ledger line below the treble staff = middle C.
Treble lines from the bottom: E, G, B, D, F. The second line is G.
Count letters: C, D, E, F, G = 5, a 5th.
Count half steps: C to G = 7, which is a perfect 5th.

The notes are middle C and G: a perfect 5th, the interval at the start of Twinkle, Twinkle ("-kle, twin-").

Just for fun

Q: Why are ledger lines such good helpers?

A: They give high and low notes a leg up (or a leg down)!

Hands-on activity

Interval hunt

You need: a keyboard app or a piano/keyboard if you have one (or a paper keyboard: draw one from the picture), paper and a pencil, and a ruler.

Draw a treble staff and a bass staff with a ruler. Write middle C, B and A with ledger lines below the treble staff, and middle C above the bass staff.
On the keyboard, count half steps to build: a major 3rd from F (F–A), a minor 3rd from E (E–G) and a perfect 5th from D (D–A).
Sing the first two notes of each song in the table. Can someone at home tell you the interval just by listening?
Write a short 4-note melody that uses at least one P4 and one M3. Label each interval, then sing or play it.

Your turn

What is a ledger line?

In treble clef, which note sits on the first ledger line below the staff?

In treble clef, which note sits on the first ledger line above the staff?

Name the interval number: E up to A.

How many half steps are in a major 3rd? A minor 3rd?

C up to G is a ___ 5th.

Sing the start of Twinkle, Twinkle and point to the perfect 5th.

More practice: warm-up

What do we call the distance between two notes?

How many letter names apart is an octave?

Do both notes of an octave have the same letter name?

What is a half step?

Name the interval number from C up to D.

More practice: on your own

Name the interval: G up to B. Number and quality.

Name the interval: E up to G. Number and quality.

In bass clef, which note is on the first ledger line above the staff? Which is on the first ledger line below?

A note is on a line and the next note is on the next line up. What interval number is it? Why?

F up to C: name the interval.

Challenge

O Canada begins with "O Ca-na-da". The first jump ("O Ca-") is a minor 3rd up, and the next jump ("-na-da") is a perfect 4th up. If the song starts on A, what are the next notes? Explain.

Explain why C–E and C–E♭ are both 3rds but sound different.

Write the notes in treble clef from the second ledger line below the staff up to the top line, naming every line and space in order.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Short lines added above or below the staff are called ___.

In treble clef, middle C is written ___.

C up to G is a ___.

A minor 3rd has ___ half steps.

D up to F♯ is a ___.

An interval of 8 letter names with the same note name is ___.

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Students read notes on ledger lines above and below the staff and identify major, minor and perfect intervals (for example, major 3rd, perfect 5th), the Grade 6 pitch concepts (C1.5), use them when singing or playing (C1.1), and describe how they are used (C2.2).

How to help at home:

A free keyboard app is the best tool for counting half steps.
Sing the "song starters" together. Ear training is easier with songs you know.
Practise ledger lines by counting from a note you know ("top line is F, so the space above is G, the first ledger line is A").

Common difficulties:

Not counting both notes when naming interval numbers (C to E is a 3rd, not a 2nd).
Skipping black keys when counting half steps. Every key counts.
Misreading ledger lines. Point and say line, space, line slowly.