Laufey's From the Start: An Intervallic Breakdown of Its Richer Chords
In Laufey's From the Start (key of Db major), each melody note can be heard three ways: as a scale degree of the root Db, as an interval from neighbouring notes, and as a chord tone, so the same F is the 3rd of Db, the 9th of Ebm9 and the 13th of Ab13.
Key points
- Hear every melody note three ways: against the song's root, against neighbouring notes, and against the chord.
- Pitch freezing means stopping on a note, then singing and identifying it while keeping the root Db nearby.
- The recurring F is the 3rd of Db, the 9th of Ebm9 and the 13th of Ab13.
- Strong melodies mix leaps such as perfect fifths with diatonic or chromatic steps.
- A note outside the key, like D over a Bb dominant chord, works because the chord gives it purpose.
What this lesson teaches
Jason Zac uses Laufey's From the Start to show the three ways you can hear a melodic interval. It suits pianists and singers who want to understand why jazz-pop melodies sound so rich, and anyone working on ear training. The song is in Db major: the five black-note flats plus F and C.
The three perspectives
- Against the root of the song. Every note is a scale degree of Db: the 3rd, 5th, 7th and so on.
- Against each other. Each note forms an interval with its neighbour: a second, a third, a fifth, an octave.
- Against the chord. The same note takes a new role over each chord.
Jason calls his method pitch freezing. Stop the music, as you would pause a cassette, and identify the last note you heard. Keep Db sounding nearby and sing the note. Singing is the most reliable way to detect an interval.
The chords
The verse mostly moves through Ebm9, Ab13 and Dbmaj7, a ii–V–I in Db.
- On piano, Ebm9 can be voiced from the bottom up as the 5th, minor 3rd, minor 7th and 9th: Bb, Gb, Db, F.
- Slide the Db down to C and, over an Ab bass, you get Ab13. Gb is the flat 7, C the major 3rd and F the 13th. A 13th is simply a 6th played alongside a 7th.
- Dbmaj7 is played in a clean, open voicing that includes the major 7th, C.
The F that holds the song together
Almost every bar and chord change starts on F. Against the root it is always the 3rd of Db. Over Ebm9 it is the 9th, and over Ab13 it is the 13th. One note carries different emotions purely because of the chord underneath. A single note has no colour of its own, whether it is a white key or a black key. Its sound comes from the notes around it.
Leaps, steps and chromatic notes
Rather than walking up to F step by step, Laufey slips in a chromatic note that is outside Db major. She sings it on the offbeat, so it slides into Bb without clashing with the chord. Then she leaps a perfect fifth from Bb to F. Phrases such as F, Eb, Db, C are diatonic seconds with each other, and they are 3, 2, 1, 7 against Db.
Great melodies balance leaps (thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, sevenths, octaves) with steps (major or minor seconds, diatonic or chromatic).
Notes outside the key
In the B line, Bb is the 5th over Ebm7 and the 6th of Db. Those notes echo Somewhere Over the Rainbow, yet the new context makes them sound different. Later the melody lands on D, a note outside the key, over a colourful Bb dominant chord. You could play Bb7, Bb major or Bb augmented there. D is a semitone above the root Db, but it is the major 3rd of Bb. When in doubt, reference the note to the lowest note you hear.
The verse's last line ends on the V chord, Ab. The melody lands on C, which is the 7th of Db but the 3rd of Ab.
B section, scat solo and outro
- The B section repeats major seconds over ii–V–I changes, with more perfect-fifth jumps. One phrase ends on the 9th instead of the expected root.
- An Fm7 to Bb7 pair works as a non-diatonic ii–V. Adding Gb gives the Bb chord an augmented, sharp-5 sound.
- The scat solo outlines chord tones. It includes a leap from Eb to C (the flat 7 and 5th of Fm7) and a Bb7 arpeggio with a B as the flat 9. It ends with a minor-sixth leap followed by a step in the opposite direction, landing on Ab.
- In the outro, F is held over an Ab chord with a flat 9, 11 and 13. You can play it as an A augmented triad in the right hand over Ab in the left. The A and Ab clash, yet the chord still sounds beautiful.
How to practise
Play the melody a phrase at a time. Freeze on a note and name it three ways: as a degree of Db, as an interval from the previous note, and as a tone of the current chord. Sing each answer with Db sounding.
Questions about this lesson
What key is Laufey's From the Start in?
It is in Db major. The verse mainly uses Ebm9, Ab13 and Dbmaj7, a ii–V–I progression.
What are the three ways to hear a melodic interval?
You can hear a note as a scale degree of the song's root, as an interval from the notes around it, or as a tone of the chord underneath. Each view gives the same note a different name.
Why does the F in From the Start sound different over each chord?
F is the 3rd of Db, but over Ebm9 it becomes the 9th and over Ab13 it becomes the 13th. The supporting chord changes its role and its emotional colour.
How do I play the Ab13 chord in this song?
Start from an Ebm9 voicing of Bb, Gb, Db, F and slide the Db down to C over an Ab bass. That gives you the flat 7 (Gb), the major 3rd (C) and the 13th (F).
Practise it
- Two NotesA guided field guide to intervals: consonance, inversions, scales, modes and the Circle of Fifths.
- SpanAn interval practice studio with separate Ear, Eyes, Hands and Voice drills.
- All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.
Related lessons
- How to Harmonize a Single Note With All Possible ChordsTo harmonize a single note such as G, ask which chords contain it: three triads in each of the seven major keys that include G, six chromatic major and minor triads, and then chords on every one of the 12 roots, where G becomes a seventh, sixth, fourth, second, ninth or altered tone.
- Ear Training: The Sounds of Intervals (How to Identify Them Fast)To identify an interval by ear, ask whether it sounds resolved (perfect fifth, major third, minor third), dissonant (minor second, diminished fifth, major seventh) or like it wants to move somewhere (major second, perfect fourth, minor seventh), with the sixths sounding mysterious and versatile.
- How to Sing and Play Intervals (Theory and Ear Training on Piano)To practise intervals in three dimensions, play a root note on the piano, sing the target interval first, then play it to check your answer, working from stable resolutions to anticipations and finally tensions.
- 5 Finger Piano Exercises for Beginners That Sound BeautifulPlace your right thumb on C and your pinky on G. Then play four drills: up and down, in thirds, in triplet groups and in two-note pairs, all over a steady left-hand pulse. Next, change the second, third and fourth notes to turn the same drills into minor, dreamy or flamenco-like music.