Intervals and Cadences That Actually Make Sense
Intervals are just the distance between two notes, and they're not as scary as they look. Think of them like steps on a ladder - you've got perfect ones (unison, 4th, 5th, octave) that sound rock-solid, and major ones (2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th) that can become minor by dropping a semitone.
Cadences are like musical full stops - they show when phrases end. The perfect cadence V−I sounds final and complete, the imperfect cadence I−V leaves you hanging, and the plagal cadence IV−I has that churchy "Amen" sound.
Here's the clever bit: once you know C major intervals, you can work out any key. C to E is a major 3rd, C to Eb is a minor 3rd - it's all about counting semitones and recognising those patterns.
Remember: Perfect intervals become augmented +semitone or diminished −semitone, whilst major intervals become minor −semitone - never the other way round!