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I. Fundamentals
Half Steps, Whole Steps, and Accidentals

### Core Idea

A half step above a key on the piano is the key to its immediate right, while a half step below a key on the piano is the key to its immediate left. A whole step is two half steps. A whole step above is two keys to its right, while a whole step below is two keys to its left.

### Explanation

A half step above a key on the piano is the key to its immediate right, while a half step below a key on the piano is the key to its immediate left.

A whole step is two half steps. A whole step above is two keys to its right, while a whole step below is two keys to its left.

An accidental changes the pitch of a note. A sharp raises a note by a half step, while a flat lowers a note by a half step. A natural cancels a previous accidental.

A double sharp raises a note by a whole step, while a double flat lowers a note by a whole step.

Be sure to write accidentals to the left of a note, directly across the line or space on which a note appears.

Notes have enharmonic equivalence when they are spelled differently but sound the same.

In the last chapter, The Keyboard and the Grand Staff, we discussed the letter names of the white keys on the piano keyboard and noted that the black keys are grouped into alternating sets of two or three. Before we discuss the names of the black keys, however, we must first learn about half steps and whole steps.

Half Steps and Whole Steps

A half step is considered to be the smallest interval, or distance between two notes, in Western musical notation. Example 1 shows a piano keyboard with the letter names of the white-key pitches and some half steps labeled. On the piano keyboard (see Example 1), for most of the white-key notes, a half step above that note will be the black key to its upper right, while a half step below it will be the black key to its upper left. For example, the black key to the upper right of G is “in between” the notes G and A; one would say that this black key is a half step above G and a half step below A. Two pairs of white keys—E/F and B/C—do not have black keys in between them (see Example 1). This is because E–F and B–C are both half steps. Having the black keys grouped into sets of either two or three makes it easier for a keyboardist to see and feel them more quickly.

Example 1. A piano keyboard with letter names on

the white keys; some half steps are labeled.

A whole step is the equivalent of two half steps. Example 2 shows a piano keyboard with the letter names of the white key pitches labeled, and some whole steps bracketed. Pairs of white keys with a black key in between them (A and B, C and D, D and E, F and G, and G and A) are a whole step apart. To find a whole step above the notes E or B, simply count two keys to the right: a whole step above E is the black key to the right of the note F, while a whole step above B is the black key to the right of the note C. Likewise, count two keys to the left to find a whole step below the notes C or F: the black keys to the left of the notes B and E, respectively. To find a whole step from a black key you will want to count two keys to the right or left. For example, a whole step above the black key to the right of C is the black key to the right of the note D. A whole step below the black key to the left of B is the black key to the left of the note A.

Example 2. A piano keyboard with letter names on the white keys; some whole steps are labeled.

What do half steps and whole steps sound like? The short video shown in Example 3 demonstrates:

https://youtu.be/a2q0xBYo4Z0

Example 3. Dr. Chelsey Hamm (Christopher Newport University) demonstrates the sound of a half step and a whole step.

Sharps, Flats, and Naturals

An accidental changes the pitch of a note. A sharp (♯) looks like a tilted hashtag, and it raises a note by a half step. A flat (♭) looks like a slanted lowercase "b," and it lowers a note by a half step. A natural (♮) looks like a tilted box with a line sticking out of the top left and bottom right corners, and it cancels a previous accidental such as a sharp or flat. Sharps, flats, and naturals are the three most common accidentals.

A double sharp (or 𝄪) raises a note by two half steps (i.e., a whole step). A double flat (𝄫) lowers a note by two half steps (i.e., a whole step). Accidentals are always written to the left of a note, regardless of stem direction. An accidental should be written directly across the line or space on which a note appears.

Example 4 shows both correct and incorrect ways to notate sharps, flats, and naturals:

Example 4. Correct and incorrect ways to draw accidentals.

The Black Keys on the Piano Keyboard

Example 5 shows a piano keyboard with the letter names of the black keys labeled. Black keys that are a half step above a white key take the name of the white key and add the word "sharp." For example, the black key to the right of the note C is called "C-sharp" and is written as C♯. Black keys that are a half step below a white key take the name of the white key and add the word "flat." For example, the black key to the left of the note D is called "D-flat" and is written as D♭.

Example 5. A piano keyboard with the letter names of the

black keys labeled.

F is also known as E♯, and E is also known as F♭. C is also known as B♯, and B is also known as C♭. Example 6 also shows some of the double-sharp and double-flat accidentals. A double sharp is two half steps above a note. For example, D𝄪 is also E; E𝄪 is also F♯ (or G♭). A double flat is two half steps below a note. For example, A𝄫 is also G; C𝄫 is also B♭ or A♯.

Example 6. Double accidentals on the piano keyboard.

Enharmonic equivalence

You will have noticed by now that each key on the piano keyboard has more than one name. Notes have enharmonic equivalence when they are spelled differently but sound the same. For example, you can see that C♯ and D♭ are enharmonically equivalent, as seen in Examples 5 and 6. Example 6 also shows that the note D is enharmonically equivalent with the notes C𝄪 and E𝄫. In other words, playing a D, C𝄪, or E𝄫 will result in the same pitch.

Online Resources

Tutorial on Half and Whole Steps (Music Theory Fundamentals)

[Tutoria

### Key Quote

A half step above a key on the piano is the key to its immediate right, while a half step below a key on the piano is the key to its immediate left.

### Application Scenarios

A half step is considered to be the smallest interval, or distance between two notes, in Western musical notation. Example 1 shows a piano keyboard with the letter names of the white-key pitches and some half steps labeled. On the piano keyboard (see Example 1), for most of the white-key notes, a half step above that note will be the black key to its upper right, while a half step below it will be the black key to its upper left. For example, the black key to the upper right of G is “in between” the notes G and A; one would say that this black key is a half step above G and a half step below A. Two pairs of white keys—E/F and B/C—do not have black keys in between them (see Example 1). This is because E–F and B–C are both half steps. Having the black keys grouped into sets of either two or three makes it easier for a keyboardist to see and feel them more quickly.

Example 1. A piano keyboard with letter names on

A whole step is the equivalent of two half steps. Example 2 shows a piano keyboard with the letter names of the white key pitches labeled, and some whole steps bracketed. Pairs of white keys with a black key in between them (A and B, C and D, D and E, F and G, and G and A) are a whole step apart. To find a whole step above the notes E or B, simply count two keys to the right: a whole step above E is the black key to the right of the note F, while a whole step above B is the black key to the right of the note C. Likewise, count two keys to the left to find a whole step below the notes C or F: the black keys to the left of the notes B and E, respectively. To find a whole step from a black key you will want to count two keys to the right or left. For example, a whole step above the black key to the right of C is the black key to the right of the note D. A whole step below the black key to the left of B is the black key to the left of the note A.

Example 2. A piano keyboard with letter names on the white keys; some whole steps are labeled.

### Key Terminology

enharmonic equivalence double sharp double flat grand staff whole step accidental interval Western natural staff piano pitch

### Related Links

The Keyboard and the Grand Staff Tutorial on Half and Whole Steps (Music Theory Fundamentals)Tutorial on Half Steps, Whole Steps, and Accidentals (musictheory.net)Game to Practice Half Steps, Whole Steps, and Accidentals (drawmusic.com)Tutorial on Accidentals (mymusictheory.com)Tutorial on the Black Keys on the Piano (musicradar.com)Practicing the Piano Keyboard (musictheory.net)Matching Game for Piano Key Notes (quizlet.com)Labeling Game for Piano Key Notes (quizlet.com)Tutorial on Enharmonic Equivalence (The Music Notation Project)
Source: https://viva.pressbooks.pub/openmusictheory/chapter/half-and-whole-steps/
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