>From Wiki: "A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone,[1] is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music,[2] and it is considered the most dissonant.[3] The most commonly written form of this interval is the minor second (Minor second on C.mid Play (help·info)), notated using two adjacent letter names (e.g. C and D?), but the augmented unison is also used, both notes having the same letter-name, with one of the notes being inflected by an accidental (e.g. C and C?). In twelve-tone equal temperament all semitones are equal in size. Any equal-tempered interval can be defined in terms of an appropriate number of semitones (e.g. an octave is 12 semitones wide). In other tuning systems the term "semitone" refers to a family of intervals which may vary both in size and name. Often a distinction is made between a diatonic semitone (notated as a minor second), and a chromatic semitone (as an augmented unison). These are enharmonically equivalent in equal temperament." David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "David Nereson" <da88ve at gmail.com> To: pianotech at ptg.org Received: 5/12/2009 2:09:56 AM Subject: [pianotech] somewhat OT -- step vs. tone ><<The piano is a semitone (I dislike "half-step", because it's >essentially meaningless) >> > Yes, but in the world of musicians, the terms "whole step," "half-step," >"quarter-step" are used interchangeably with "whole tone," "half-tone," >"quarter-tone." When teaching accidentals, I'd venture to say that most >teachers tell students that in order to sharp a note, one raises it a "half >step," not a "semitone." Those with some music theory education understand >the two terms to mean the same thing. > I don't see how the term "half-step" is meaningless. Scales are taught >as being built of whole steps and half steps. Scientifically, the word >"step" doesn't imply 200 cents any less than the word "tone." > When accompanying a singer, and s/he comes to a note that's out of their >range, they'll usually say, "Can you transpose down (or up) a half step [not >"semitone"]?" > My Random House Unabridged Dictionary says a semitone is "a pitch >interval halfway between two whole tones. Also called half step, half >tone." > That first phrase is laughable, really. If C# is halfway between C and >D, then C is a whole tone and D is a whole tone. This would mean that E >could be a whole tone and F# a whole tone, with F, halfway between, being a >semitone. What is not explained is that the DISTANCE between C and D is a >whole tone (or, just "a tone"). > And the prefix could just as well be "hemi" as "semi," as in >"hemisphere" (half a sphere). We say "semi-trailer," when the trailer isn't >half a trailer; it's just that only the rear of it is trailing -- the front >is fastened to the tractor. > Along parallel lines, here in the U.S. we use the terms "half note," >"quarter note," "eighth note," etc., whereas in the U.K, they say >"hemi-demi-semiquaver," etc. > I say either term is correct. > --David Nereson, RPT >
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