Whole Steps and Half Steps

Introduction

I've taught many people how to play musical instruments. They always want to jump right to the tunes they've always dreamed of playing! Usually, though, you have to learn some basic stuff before you can get to the advanced. O.K., you want to play "Fur Elise," by Beethoven. Well, first you have to learn some fingerings and some basic piano technique.

What we're going to do in MCO is learn about scales. But before we can learn about scales, we have to learn about half steps and whole steps. Why? Because scales are primarily comprised of half steps and whole steps, that's why.

What Are They?

A good way to define whole steps and half steps is to list the following characteristics of them:
  1. a whole step and a half step are intervals (an interval is a relationship between two notes).
  2. a whole step is made up of two half steps.
  3. a half step is the interval which results when you play two adjacent keys on the piano.

Intervals

Any time we consider two pitches, we consider the relationship between those pitches. That relationship is called an interval. While there are many intervals in music, we're concerned here with the smallest one (a half step) and the next smallest one (a whole step).
Review: try to unscramble the Interval Definition

A Whole Step Equals Two Half Steps

If you understand how to identify, spell, find, and play a half step, you can always identify, spell, find, and play a whole step, since a whole step consists of two half steps.


For example, we can spell a half step as "c,c sharp" since a half step is the interval which results when you play two adjacent keys on the piano. We can spell another half step as "c sharp, d". So, "c,d" is a whole step.

Adjacent Keys

You can use a keyboard to find, identify, and play half steps and half steps.

Example 1: Half Steps and Whole Steps on a Keyboard:

Whole Steps and Half Steps on the Staff:

It's important to be able to see these two intervals in a score, also.

Example 2: A Half Step:



Example 3: A Whole Step:

Performing Half Steps and Whole Steps Matching Exercise

Accidentals

We can't discuss half steps without discussing accidentals. Accidentals are symbols placed in front of a note which raise or lower the pitch. Here are the concepts to understand:
  • Accidentals in the key signature:
    An accidental in the key signature will affect all of the notes in the song (more about that in the next lecture)
  • Accidentals in the internal measures:
    An accidental in an internal measure affects only the notes within that measure
  • The five symbols used as accidentals: sharp, flat, double sharp, double flat, and natural
    for e-mail and online purposes, we refer to these as #,b,##,bb,and n, but here's how they look in a score:

    Example 4: Accidentals:

    The notes in Example 4 would be referred to as G, G sharp (or G#), G flat (or Gb), G double sharp (or G##), G double flat (or Gbb), and G natural (or Gn). The names in parenthesis allow us to discuss them easily in email messages or in online quizzes, etc.
  • As you can see, even though accidentals are placed in front of notes in scores, when you refer to a note which has an accidental in front of it, you identify it with the name of the accidental after it!

    Terms to know:

    The terms and concepts you should know are:
  • Half step
  • Whole step
  • Interval
  • Adjacent keys
  • diatonic half step
  • chromatic half step

    Exercises and Assignments:

  • Read from page 45 through page 51.
  • Do the Computer Exercise Drills # 47-51.
  • Do the Written Exercises on pp 52-53.
  • Back to Lectures Page
  • Back to Scales Page