Half Steps & Whole Steps
The two smallest distances in Western music — every scale is just a pattern built from these two building blocks.
The half step: the smallest gap
A half step (or semitone) is the distance from any key on the piano to the very next key — black or white — with nothing in between. C to C♯ is a half step. E to F is a half step too, even though both are white keys, because they sit right next to each other with no black key separating them.
The whole step: two half steps
A whole step (or whole tone) is simply two half steps stacked together — you skip exactly one key. C to D is a whole step (through C♯). D to E is a whole step (through D♯). Combine enough half and whole steps in the right order and you get the formula behind the major scale.
Common questions
What is a half step?
The distance to the very next key, black or white, with nothing in between — a semitone.
What is a whole step?
Two half steps combined — skipping exactly one key in between.
Where are the natural half steps on a piano?
Between E and F, and between B and C — the only white-key pairs with no black key between them.
Why do half and whole steps matter?
Every scale is a specific pattern of half and whole steps, which you can build from any starting note.
Hear every step, not just see it
Melody Monkey plays scales and intervals live on any instrument, free.
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