The perfect fifth is the most stable interval after the octave. It is the basis of most scales and triads, and its open sound is unmistakable in every kind of music.
1. Visual shortcut: spotting a fifth on the staff
The symmetry rule: a fifth keeps the same kind of position, just like a third.
- If the lower note is on a line, the upper note is on a line, two lines higher.
- If the lower note is in a space, the upper note is in a space, two spaces higher.
Between the two notes there are three free positions. Example in treble clef: E4 (first line) and B4 (third line); or F4 (first space) and C5 (third space).
2. Reference table
The perfect fifth is the backbone of tonal harmony. Here are the three types:
| Interval quality | Half steps | Harmonic classification |
|---|---|---|
| Diminished 5th (d5) | 6 | Semi-consonance (tritone) |
| Perfect 5th (P5) | 7 | Perfect consonance |
| Augmented 5th (A5) | 8 | Conditional dissonance (enharmonic to a minor 6th) |
3. Identify fifths
These exercises train the identification of fifths. Pay special attention to the diminished 5th: it is the key to resolving seventh chords.
4. Build fifths
A root note appears on the staff. Choose the type of fifth and click the position of the second note.
5. Printable fifth worksheets (PDF)
The same two skills, on paper: one sheet to identify written fifths and another to write them. Each has 42 melodic fifth intervals in treble clef spread over seven staves, starting with natural, ascending notes —the perfect fifths (and the diminished fifth B–F) that come out of the natural scale— and ending with sharps and flats and mixed directions. No exercise repeats the same two notes.
Identify fifths
Under each interval there is a line to write what kind of fifth it is and whether it ascends or descends (P5 ↑, d5 ↓…).
Download the worksheet (PDF A4) Answers
Write fifths
The reverse exercise: the first note and the interval to form are given, and the student places the second note on the staff, with its accidental if it needs one.
Download the worksheet (PDF A4) Answers
You may print and photocopy them freely for the classroom. Each answer sheet is the same worksheet with the answers in red, so you correct by laying one over the other. The rest —including the sheets that mix several intervals— is in interval worksheets in PDF, and if you want new sheets every time or to practice on screen choosing the intervals, in the custom interval quiz.
To train your ear as well, use the reference tones of the online tuner and compare the sound of each interval with a pure tone. The online metronome helps you build sight-reading speed.