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Semitone

Definition

A semitone refers to the smallest interval used in Western music theory. It represents a distance of one half step between two adjacent notes.

Analogy

Think of a staircase with very small steps. Each time you go up or down just one tiny step, you're moving by a semitone.

Related terms

Chromatic Scale: The chromatic scale includes all twelve pitches within an octave and consists entirely of consecutive semitones.

Whole Tone Scale: Unlike the semitone, which represents a half step, the whole tone scale consists only of whole steps or tones between each note.

Enharmonic Equivalent: Enharmonic equivalents are two different notations (such as C# and Db) that represent the same pitch on an instrument but are written differently.

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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.