Here's what I've wondered...
You use a song to memorize an interval. Say a m7 with "There's a Place for Us," which has the interval on the 5th step of the scale going up to the 4th step of the scale, or sol-fa. (This is also a dominant 7th chord I think.)
That has a certain sound. But, what about a m7 built off the first step of the scale, do-te? That sounds different, right? Some of it might be the chord function affecting the "color" of the interval.
Does that mean there more "colors" of a m7? depending on the chord function and the scale degree it's built off of? That would mean there could be 12 or more different shades of an m7.
Another thought...
If you hear an interval without establishing a tonal center, isn't your ear (and mind) trying to put that interval in some tonal context? So, if you study intervals alone with a tonal center, you might hear a m7 as do-te, right? unless your mind is fitting the m7 into something you're more familiar with, like sol-fa.
Another thought...
Could it be that there's more to this, the color of an interval I mean? Could it be that you study your intervals well, but with everything else in the music, the full context in music with the interval in relation to the tonal center and the chord function and who knows what else, that the interval in music will sound different than what you studied because what you studied was different than what is present in the music? Even though they may be the exact same interval on paper, there's something else that affects the sound?
It seems to me that there's something more. And that would have to do with...
- the interval in relation to the tonal center
- the chord function, whether it wants to collapse or stay as its own sound, the root of that chord, etc.
It seems like there might be a huge range of possibilities for the color of an interval. This would explain why you don't quite hear the interval in music, even after you've studied your ears off and have it learned (as an isolated interval).
Intrigued? (or am I just going nuts?) I didn't feel like I was going about it the right way when I studied intervals. I still haven't got it figured out.
Thinking....
Take a P5. It has a certain sound on the first scale step, do-sol. A different sound on the fifth step, sol-re. You could say do-sol is part of the I chord. However, do-sol could be part of a m7 chord built on the sixth step of the scale.
So, you might have...
- A P5, chord with root on scale step 1, P5 with lower note on scale step 1
For example, C-G on a tonic chord in the key of C
- A P5, chord with root on scale step 5, P5 with lower note on scale step 5
For example, G-D on a dominant chord in the key of C
- A P5, chord with root on scale step 6, P5 with lower note on scale step 1
For example, C-G on a vi7 chord in the key of C
- A P5, chord with root on scale step 5, P5 with lower note on scale step 5
For example, G-D on a iii7 chord in key of C
Nice and confusing? Well, my brain's fried now. And that's barely dipping into all the possiblities. There might also be some obscure extended chord where C-G is the upper notes above a chord built on a Bb. Wouldn't that have its own sound, too? I'm still thinking. Let me know if you have any ideas.
Topic: practicing aural