Package leaflet · Information for the musician · Interval
Perfect Fifth Interval
Seven half steps. Pure, strong and hollow: the most consonant interval after the octave and unison.
- 7 semitones
1Composition: what it contains
- Semitones
- 7
- Abbreviation
- P5
- Inversion
- perfect fourth
- Consonance
- perfect consonance
| From | To | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| C | G | |
| C♯ | G♯ | |
| D | A | |
| E♭ | B♭ | |
| E | B | |
| F | C | |
| F♯ | C♯ | |
| G | D | |
| A♭ | E♭ | |
| A | E | |
| B♭ | F | |
| B | F♯ |
2Appearance: diagrams and sound
3Indications: what it is used for
The root and fifth form power chords in rock and metal and the outline of all major and minor triads. Bass lines alternate root and fifth in country, folk and pop. Violin, viola, cello and mandolin are tuned in fifths. The circle of fifths organises keys and dominant-to-tonic motion (V–I). Drones, medieval music and bagpipes rely on open fifths. Inverted, a fifth becomes a perfect fourth.
4Dosage: how to practise it
On guitar, two frets higher on the next string (the power chord shape), adjusting between the third and second strings. On piano, seven half steps. Sing the first and fifth notes of a major scale. Practise root-fifth bass patterns at 80–120 BPM. Train harmonic and melodic fifths with an ear trainer three to five minutes daily, comparing them with fourths and the tritone. Tune string instruments in fifths by ear to refine your perception.
5Warnings and common mistakes
Do not confuse it with the perfect fourth: they are inversions of each other and often confused by ear. In classical voice leading, parallel fifths between two voices are avoided. In equal temperament the fifth is very slightly narrower than pure, which is normally inaudible. A diminished fifth is a tritone, and an augmented fifth sounds like a minor sixth; check the spelling.
6Other presentations available
Read this leaflet carefully before playing. Keep it near your instrument. Free to use, print and share for personal and educational use.