A whole step is a basic distance unit in scale construction and melodic movement.
Understanding whole-step and half-step relationships is essential for reading key signatures and building scales.
Whole Step
Category: Theory
Also known as: whole tone
Related Dictionary Terms
Key Center
Shared keywords
Theory
Shared keywords • Same category (Theory)
A key center organizes harmonic tension and release around a tonic. Identifying key center helps performers shape phrasing, c…
Whole Tone Scale
Shared keywords
six note scale where the interval between successive notes is a whole step See Musical Scales
Voice leading
Shared keyword
Theory
Shared keyword • Same category (Theory)
Voice leading focuses on how each line moves, not only on the chord labels. Good voice leading often favors: small interval m…
Diatonic scale
Shared keywords
any scale of the major, natural minor, melodic minor or harmonic minor scales based on a particular key note
Flat Key Signatures
Shared keywords
See Table of Key Signatures
Major Scale
Shared keywords
See Table of Key Signatures See Table of Major & Melodic minor Scales See Musical Scales
Melodic minor Scales
Shared keywords
See Table of Major & Melodic minor Scales See Musical Scales
Minor Scale
Shared keywords
having the interval of a minor third between the first and third degrees of the scale See Table of Key Signatures See Table o…