Interval signal

Historical interval signal of the BBC

File:RAVAG-Pausenzeichen.ogg An interval signal, or tuning signal, is a characteristic sound or musical phrase used in international broadcasting, numbers stations, and by some domestic broadcasters, played before commencement or during breaks in transmission, but most commonly between programs in different languages.

It serves several purposes:

• It helps a listener using a radio with an analog tuner to find the correct frequency.
• It informs other stations that the frequency is in use.
• It serves as a station identifier even if the language used in the subsequent broadcast is not one the listener understands.

The practice began in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s and was carried over into shortwave broadcasts. The use of interval signals has declined with the advent of digital tuning systems, but has not vanished. Interval signals were not required on commercial channels in the United States, where jingles were used as identification.

List of interval signals by station

• Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior: First eight notes of "Mi Buenos Aires querido" by Carlos Gardel, followed by people saying the station's name in eight languages.

• Bangladesh Betar: A tune composed by Samar Das.

• Radio Belarus: "Motherland, my dear" (Belarusian: Радзіма, мая дарагая, Russian: Родина моя дорогая) by Vladimir Olovnikov and Ales Bachyla.

• Rádio Brasil Internacional: Xylophone version of "Brazilian Flag Anthem" (Brazilian Portuguese: Hino à Bandeira Nacional) by Antônio Francisco Braga and Olavo Bilac.

• China:

• China National Radio and China Radio International: Chime version of March of the Volunteers (义勇军进行曲).

<score sound="1">\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"tubular bells" \key g \major g'4. b8 d4 d e2 d}</score>

Interval signal for China National Radio and China Radio International

• Voice of the Strait News Radio: Bell version of "Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention" (三大纪律八项注意).

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key a \major \time 4/4 b'2. cis4 e2 e2

Interval signal for Voice of the Strait

• Radio Habana Cuba: Melody of "March of the 26th of July" (La Marcha del 26 de Julio) by Agustín Díaz Cartaya.
• DR P1: "Drømte mig en drøm i nat", played on xylophone.

<score sound="1">\relative c'{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"electric piano 2" \once \hide Score.MetronomeMark \tempo 4 = 85 \time 3/4 f2 a4 g2 a4 f2 e4 d2 f4 a2 a4 a2 e4 d2.}</score>

Interval signal for DR P1

• Radio France Internationale: Electronic-disco, culminating in the last 8 measures of "La Marseillaise".
• Deutsche Welle: Celesta version of "Es sucht der Bruder seine Brüder" from Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven.

<score sound="1">{ \once \hide Score.MetronomeMark \tempo 4 = 72 \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"harpsichord" \partial 4

<< \relative c { g'4 g4. e8 g f d g a8. g16 g2 \fermata \bar "

Interval signal for Deutsche Welle

• Voice of Greece: "The Little Shepherd" (Ο Τσομπανάκος), played on floghera.
• All India Radio: A tune composed by Walter Kaufmann or Thakur Balwant Singh, used since 1936.

<score sound="1">\relative c{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"flute" c'16 b c4. b8 a f4 f8 b a f e4 e16 f a f e2 s}</score>

Interval signal for All India Radio

• Indonesia
  • RRI Programa 3: "Solace on Coconut Island" (Rayuan Pulau Kelapa), composed by Ismail Marzuki.
  • RRI Voice of Indonesia: "Feeling of Love" (Rasa Sayang).

• RTÉ Radio 1: Chime version of "O'Donnell Forever" (O'Donnell Abú).
• Radio Japan:

• "Kazoe-uta" (数え歌, counting-out game).
• "Sakura Sakura" (さくらさくら, cherry blossoms).

<score sound="1">\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key a \major \time 2/4 a'8^\markup { Kazoe-uta } a cis a cis4 d8 cis fis fis d d cis4 a8 cis d d cis a gis2}</score>

<score sound="1">\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"orchestral harp" \once \hide Score.MetronomeMark \tempo 4 = 120 \key f \major d'4^\markup { Sakura Sakura } d e2 d4 d e2 d4 (e) f (e) d (e8 d) bes2}</score>

Interval signals for Radio Japan

• Radio Nepal: A tune composed by Ustad Govinda Lal Nepali.
• North Korea

• Voice of Korea: Melody of "Song of General Kim Il-sung" (김일성장군의 노래).
• Pyongyang FM: Melody of "Song of General Kim Jong-il" (김정일장군의 노래).

• KBS World Radio: "Dawn".
• RTL Radio: "De Feierwon" by Michel Lentz, played on chimes.
• Voice of Mongolia: "Motherland" (Эх орон).

<score sound="1">\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" g'4 e' e8. d16 c4 d8. e16 c4 g2}</score>

Interval signal for Voice of Mongolia

• Radio New Zealand International: The call of a New Zealand bellbird
• Radio Pakistan: A tune composed by Khwaja Khursheed Anwar.

<score sound="1">\relative c' {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"flute" e1 a gis8 a b a \times 2/3 {gis a b} d4 e2 a2}</score>

Interval signal for Radio Pakistan

• Philippines:

• Far East Broadcasting Company: "We Have Heard the Joyful Sound".
• Radio Veritas Asia: "O via, vita, veritas".

• Radio Romania International: The first nine notes of “Pui de lei", lyrics by Ioan S. Nenițescu and song by Ionel G. Brătianu
• Russia

• Radio Mayak: Vibraphone version of Moscow Nights.
• Radio Sakha: Excerpt from a Yakut folk song.

• Radio Slovenia: Electronically generated cuckoo chirping.
• Radio Ukraine International: "Roar and groan, vast Dnieper" (Реве та стогне Дніпр широкий).
• BBC World Service:

• English programme: "Bow Bells".
• Non-English programme, non-Europe: "Lillibullero", three notes tuned B–B–C.
• Non-English programme, to Europe: four notes tuned B–B–B–E.

<score sound="1"> \relative c { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f b^\markup { B–B–C } b c } </score>
<score sound="1"> \relative c { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f b^\markup { B–B–B–E } b b e } </score>

Interval signals for BBC World Service

• United States:

• NBC: 3 chime-like notes.

<score sound="NBC chimes.ogg"> \relative c' { \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f g'2 e'2 c1 } </score>

Interval signal for NBC

• Trans World Radio: "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".
• Voice of America: Brass band version of "Yankee Doodle".

File:Voa english signing on with yankee doodle.ogg

• WEWN, later EWTN Global Radio: "Salve Regina"

• Vatican Radio: "Christus Vincit", played on celesta.

<score sound="1">{#(set-global-staff-size 18) \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key f \major <a' a>2 <a' a> <c c> <c c> <f' f> <f' f> <a' a> <a' a> <d' d> <g' g> <c' c> <f' f>4 ~ <bes' bes> <a' a>2 ~ <g' g>4. <f' f>8 <f' f>1}</score>

Interval signal for Vatican Radio

• Radio Nacional de Venezuela's Canal Internacional: Beginning of "Alma Llanera" by Pedro Elías Gutiérrez and Rafael Bolívar Coronado.

Formerly used

• Radio Tirana: Këputa një gjethe dafine (transmission intro) and the trumpet version of With Pickaxe and Rifle.

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"trombone" \key g \minor \time 2/4 \skip4 \skip8. d16 d4 d8. es16 d4 c8. a'16 bes'2 g'2}</score>

Radio Tirana

• Radio Australia: Chimes version of Waltzing Matilda (chorus), Kookaburra call. News signature tune: Majestic Fanfare.
• Radio Österreich International: Orchestral version of An der schönen blauen Donau ("Blue Danube Waltz") by Johann Strauss.

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"brass section" \key g \minor \time 3/4 bes d' f' <<{<bes d' f'>2.} {\skip2 <d f>4}>> <<{<bes d' f'>2.} {<d f>4 \skip4 <bes' d>4}>> <<{<bes d' f'>2.} {<bes' d>4} \skip2>> }</score>

Radio Österreich International

• Ö1: Three notes signifying O–R–F by Werner Pirchner, played on viola.

<score sound="1">\relative c'{\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"viola" c g' c}</score>

Interval signal for Ö1

• RTBF International: Où peut-on être mieux qu’au sein de sa famille.
• Rádio Nacional: Luar do Sertão ("Hinterlands Moonlight").
• Radio Canada International: First four notes of O Canada, played on piano or autoharp.

<score sound="1">\relative c{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"orchestral harp" \once \hide Score.MetronomeMark \tempo 2 = 120 \key g \major b2 d4. d8 g,2. \skip4}</score>

Radio Canada International

• Radio Peking (predecessor of China Radio International): Chimes version of 东方红 ("The East Is Red").

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key c \major \time 4/4 g'2 g'4 a'4 d'1 c'2 c'4 a4 d'1}</score>

Radio Peking

• Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: Avkoritsa by Andreas Mappouras, played on guitar
• Radio Prague

• Trumpet version of Kupředu levá ("Forward, Left") by Jan Seidl

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"trumpet" a'8 r16 d16 d8 r8 e8 d4. b'8 r16 d16 d8 r8 e8 d4.}</score>

Radio Prague

• Adagio – Allegro molto from Symphony No. 9 by Dvořák.

• Yle Radio 1: Pim-pam-pulla by A. O. Väisänen.

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \key f \major <c f' f>2 bes'4 a'4 g'2 <a' f'> c bes'4 a'4 g'2 r2 <a' f' f>1}</score>

Radio Finland (Yle)

• Radio France Internationale: Trumpet version of a popular song, Nous n'irons plus au bois.

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"trumpet" \key f \major \time 2/4 \skip8 f'8 a'8 bes'8 c4 d4 c8 bes'8 a'8 c8 bes'4 a'8( g'8) f'8 \skip8 \skip4}</score>

Radio France Internationale

• Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk: The 4th symphony by Brahms.

<score sound="1">{\key g \major d8 e fis4 d gis fis \skip2.}</score>

Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk

• Reichssender Berlin: Ending bars of Volk ans Gewehr, played on glockenspiel.

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"glockenspiel" \key d \minor \time 4/4 f2 a'4. d8 c1 a'2 <a' g'>4. a'8 <d a' f'>1}</score>

Reichssender Berlin

• East Germany

• Berliner Rundfunk: Motif from the opera Regina by Albert Lortzing, played by trumpets.
• Radio Berlin International: Beginning of Auferstanden aus Ruinen ("Risen from Ruins"), played on chimes.

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"electric piano 1" \key f \major \time 2/4 <a' f'>4 <a' f'> <g' c'> <f' bes> <bes' g'> <bes' g'> <a' f'> <g' c'>}</score>

Radio Berlin International

• Radio DDR: First few bars of Wann wir schreiten Seit’ an Seit’.
• Radio NTS

File:Radio NTS 1972.ogg

• DFS 904: "Ode to Joy"

File:Deutscher Freiheitssender 904.ogg

• Deutschlandfunk: Celesta version of Dir, Land voll Lieb' und Leben from "Ich hab' mich ergeben" by Hans Ferdinand Maßmann.

<score sound="1" override_midi="DLF Pausenzeichen.mid">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"celesta" \time 4/4 \skip2. d4 <b g>4 <b g>4 <d b>4 <b g>4 <fis a>4 r4 <d fis>4 \skip4}</score>

Deutschlandfunk

• Radio Budapest: Excerpts from the suite 1848 by T.K. Polgar played on three trumpets and two cornets.

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"french horn" e2-- a8 e8 d8. fis16 e1-- e4-_ e8-. e8-. a8 e8 d8. fis16 e1}</score>

Radio Budapest

• Kol Yisrael: Trumpet and drum version of Hatikvah.

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"muted trumpet" d' <f' d>4 <f' d>4<f' d>4 <<{a'2} {c8 d8 c8 bes'8}>> <<{a'1} {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"timpani" \clef bass d,8 a,, d, a,, d,4}>>}</score>

Kol Yisrael

• Rai Italia Radio: Mechanically generated canary chirping.
• Trans World Radio: Hymne Monégasque

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"electric piano 1" \key f \major c'2 f'4. g'8 a'2 bes'4. a'8 g'2 a'4. g'8 f'2 c'4. r8 c2 c4. c8 c2. r8 f'8 g'4. a'8 bes'4. a'8 g'2 r2}</score>

Trans World Radio

• Netherlands

• NPO: First seven notes of Wilhelmus, played on clarinet (Radio 1 and Radio 5), synthesizer (Radio 3), spinet (Radio 4) and flute (Radio 2).
• Radio Netherlands: Carillon version of the Eighty Years' War song Merck toch hoe sterck.

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"tubular bells" \key g \major e'4 dis'8 e'8 fis'4 e'8 fis'8 g'4 fis'8 e'8 fis'4 \skip4}</score>

Radio Netherlands

• Norway

• NRK P1: Motif from Sigurd Jorsalfar by Edvard Grieg.
• Radio Norway International (Utenlandssendingen (in Norwegian), former international service of NRK): Symphony No. 1, Op. 26: Innover viddene. 1938, 51 by Eivind Groven

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"xylophone" \time 3/4 \skip2 \skip8 bes'8 bes'16 bes'16 d16 f16 es16 d16 es8 ~ es8 es8 d16 bes'8. c16 as'8. bes'4 ~ bes'2 r8 bes'8 bes'16 bes'16 d16 f16 es4. des8 ces8 bes'16 as'16 ges'4. ges'8 as'8 bes'16 des16 ces8 bes'4 as'8 ges'16 f'16 ges'16 f'16 es'16 f'16 ges'8 ~ ges'8 as'8 ges'16 f'16 ges'16 f'16 es'16 f'16 ges'8 ~ ges'8 f'8 es'8 des'8 es'2 bes2 \skip4}</score>

Radio Norway International (NRK)

• Poland

• Radio Katowice: Sound of a hammer striking an anvil.
• Radio Olsztyn: Excerpt from O Warmio moja miła by Feliks Nowowiejski, played on barrel organ.
• Polish Radio External Service: Excerpt from Prząśniczka by Stanisław Moniuszko, played on piano.
• Radio Polonia: Piano version of Etude No. 12 ("Revolutionary Etude") by Frédéric Chopin.

<score sound="1"><<{\key c \minor \skip2 \skip8. <c c>16[ <d d>8. <es es>16] <es es>2 r8. <g es c g'>16[ <g es c g'>8.\< <g es c g'>16]\! <as es c as'>2\> <g es c g'>2\!} {\key c \minor \clef bass \skip2. es16\> d c g,\! c,\< g, c d es g c' d'\! es'\> d' c' g es d c g,\! c,\< g, c d\! es\> d c g,\! c,2}>></score>

Radio Polonia

• Radio Bucharest 1 and Radio Bucharest External Service (pre 1989): Fragment from Cantata anilor luminǎ by Anatol Vieru
• Voice of Russia: "Majestic" chorus from the "Great Gate of Kiev" portion of Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky.
• Radio Serbia: Bože pravde.
• Radio Slovakia International: Kto za pravdu horí.
• Radio RSA (former international service of Apartheid-era South African Broadcasting Corporation): Bokmakierie chirping and first bars of Ver in die Wereld, Kittie, played on guitar.

<score sound="1">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"acoustic guitar (nylon)" \key c \major \time 2/4 g'8 g'16 g'16 g'8 f'8 e'8 g'4. d'8 f'4. e'8 g'4. g'8 g'16 g'16 g'8 f'8 e'8 g'4. d'8 f'8 e'8 d'8 c'4 r}</score>

Radio RSA

• Radio Sweden: Chime version of Ut i vida världen ("Out in the Wide World"), composed by Ralph Lundsten and the opening notes of Carl Michael Bellman's Storm och böljor tystna r'en.
• Switzerland

• Radio Beromünster: D' Zit isch do, played on music box.
• Swiss Radio International: Lueget, vo Berg und Tal.

<score sound="Swiss Radio International.ogg" lang="lilypond">{\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"accordion" \key a \major \time 3/8 cis8. d16 cis8 b'8 e'8 cis8 a'4 r8 e'8. fis'16 e'8 a'8 cis8 e8 b'4 r8}</score>

Swiss Radio International

• Voice of Turkey: Turkish makam, played on piano.

File:Voice of Turkey Interval Signal.ogg

• Radio Moscow (former international service of the Soviet Union):

• Подмосковные вечера ("Moscow Nights"), played on vibraphone.
• Песня о Родине ("Wide Is My Motherland")

<score sound="Wide Is My Motherland in 1941.ogg">{\key g \major \skip2. d'4. d'8 g'2. fis'4 e'4 fis'4 g'4 a'4 g'2 d'2 \skip2}</score>

Radio Moscow

• BBC World Service: Trumpet version of Oranges and Lemons, first four notes of Symphony No. 5 by Beethoven, played on timpani; Lillibullero (signature tune, played on trumpet).
• WYFR: First two bars of To God Be the Glory by William Howard Doane played by a brass band
• Radio Yugoslavia (1980–1989): First bar of Druže Tito, ljubićice bjela anonymous Partisan song, in various orchestral renditions.

• Radio Yugoslavia, later International Radio of Serbia and Montenegro: Jugoslavijo by Nikola Hercigonja.

Classical radio station WQXR-FM in New York City, during its ownership by The New York Times Company, played different variations of a classical infused gong with the ID read at the same time as "The Classical Station of the New York Times, WQXR, New York (And WQXR.com 2000–2009)

Numbers station interval signals

Numbers stations are often named after their interval signals, such as The Lincolnshire Poacher or Magnetic Fields after "Magnetic Fields Part 1" by Jean-Michel Jarre.

Further reading

• Sennitt, Andrew G. (1997). World Radio and Television Handbook 1997. Billboard Books. p. 560. ISBN 0-8230-7797-7.
• Sennitt, Andrew G.; David Bobbitt (December 2005). World Radio and Television Handbook 2006. Billboard Books. p. 608. ISBN 0-8230-7798-5.

External links

• Interval Signals Online
• Nobuyuki Kawamura's Interval Signal Library
• IntervalSignal DataBase (German) English version
• Uwe Volk's Sound Library (available both in English and in German)
• Kurzwelle-Historisch
• Interval signals on Live-Radio.net