semitone

/'semitoun/

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Thân thiện

A pianist plays a semitone on the keyboard.

Definition

Noun:
- A musical interval equal to half of a whole tone: A "semitone" is the smallest standard interval in Western music, representing the distance between two adjacent notes on a keyboard (e.g., from C to C# or from E to F). It is the interval between any two immediately neighboring keys on a piano, whether white or black.

Usage and Examples

Noun:
- The melody moves up by a semitone, creating a sense of tension.
- In Western scales, there is a semitone between the third and fourth notes (e.g., E and F in a C major scale).
- To tune the guitar correctly, you must adjust the string by one semitone.

Advanced Usage

"Chromatic semitone" vs. "Diatonic semitone": In advanced music theory, a distinction is sometimes made. A "chromatic semitone" is between two notes with the same letter name (e.g., C to C#), while a "diatonic semitone" is between two notes with different letter names (e.g., E to F). However, in modern equal temperament tuning, their pitch difference is identical.
As a unit of measurement: The semitone is a fundamental unit for measuring musical intervals. Larger intervals are often described as a number of semitones (e.g., a perfect fifth spans seven semitones).

Variants and Related Words

Half step: (noun) A common synonym for "semitone," primarily used in American English.
Microtone: (noun) An interval smaller than a semitone, used in some non-Western musical traditions.
Semitonal: (adjective) Relating to or consisting of semitones.
- The piece has a semitonal harmonic structure.

Synonyms

Half step: The most direct synonym.
Minor second: This is the name for the same interval when described within the context of scales and chords.

Related Terms and Concepts

Whole tone / Whole step: (noun) An interval equivalent to two semitones.
Interval: (noun) The difference in pitch between two notes.
Chromatic scale: (noun) A musical scale consisting entirely of semitone steps.
Equal temperament: (noun) The modern tuning system that divides an octave into twelve equal semitones.

A pianist plays a semitone on the keyboard.

Noun

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