Fundamentals
5 Half- and Whole-steps and Accidentals
Chelsey Hamm
Key Takeaways
- A half-step above a key on the piano is the key to its immediate right, while a half-step below a key on the piano is the key to its immediate left.
- A whole-step is two half-steps. A whole-step above a key on the piano is two keys to its right, while a whole-step below a key on the piano is two keys to its left.
- An accidental changes the pitch of a note. A sharp raises a note by a half-step while a flat lowers a note by a half-step. A natural cancels a previous accidental.
- A double sharp raises a note by a whole-step, while a double flat lowers a note by a whole-step.
- Be sure to write accidentals to the left of a note, directly across the line or space on which a note appears.
- Notes have enharmonic equivalence when they are spelled differently but sound the same.
In the last chapter, The Keyboard and the Grand Staff, we discussed the letter names of the white keys on the piano keyboard. There are also black keys on the piano keyboard, which are grouped into alternating sets of two or three. Before we discuss the names of the black keys, however, we must first learn about half- and whole-steps.
Half- and Whole-steps
shows a piano keyboard with the letter names of the white key pitches, and some half-steps labeled:
A half-step is considered to be the smallest interval, or distance between two notes, in western musical notation. On the piano keyboard (see ) a half-step above a white key note (for example, the note G) is the black key to its upper right. Likewise, a half-step below a white key note (for example, the note A) is the black key to its upper left. In other words, the black key to the upper right of G is “in between” the notes G and A. One would say that this black key is a half-step above G and is simultaneously a half-step below A. Two pairs of white keys—E/F and B/C—do not have black keys in between them (see ). This is because E to F is a half-step and B to C is also a half-step. The piano keyboard is arranged like this so that it is easier to play. Having the black keys grouped into sets of either two or three makes seeing and feeling them easier and quicker for a keyboardist.
shows a piano keyboard with the letter names of the white key pitches labeled, and some whole-steps bracketed:
A whole-step is the equivalent of two half-steps. Pairs of white keys with a black key in between them (A and B, C and D, D and E, F and G, and G and A) are a whole-step apart. To find a whole-step above the notes E or B, simply count two keys to the right. A whole-step above E is the black key to the right of the note F, while a whole-step above B is the black key to the right of the note C. Likewise, to find a whole-step below the notes C or F, simply count two keys to the left. A whole-step below C is the black key to the left of the note B, while a whole-step below F is the black key to the left of the note E. To find a whole-step from a black key you will wa