Meaning of Semitone in Music
A **semitone** in music refers to the smallest interval between two adjacent notes in Western music scales. It is also known as a **half tone** or a **half step**. The distance of a semitone can be observed on a piano keyboard, where it is the distance between a white key and its neighboring black key. For example, the distance between G and G# (or Ab) is a semitone.
In a 12-note equally divided scale, any interval can be defined in terms of an appropriate number of semitones. For instance, a whole tone or major second is 2 semitones wide, a major third is 4 semitones, and a perfect fifth is 7 semitones. It is important to note that there is a distinction between a **diatonic semitone** (or minor second) and a **chromatic semitone** (or augmented unison). A diatonic semitone encompasses two different staff positions, such as from C to D, while a chromatic semitone is an interval between two notes at the same staff position, such as from C to C. In twelve-tone equal temperament, these intervals are enharmonically equivalent, but they are not the same in meantone temperament, where the diatonic semitone is smaller than the chromatic semitone.
In Western music, a semitone is the smallest interval between two musical notes. It is an essential building block of scales, chords, intervals, melodies, and other musical elements . The concept of semitones is used to measure the "distances" between notes and is fundamental to understanding pitch and music theory .
A half step; a minor second; the smallest interval in the system of Western music.
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