🎧 Podcast Companion / Episode 5

The Atom of Music: Semitones

Before we can build scales or chords, we need to understand the smallest building block in music: The Semitone (or Half Step).

1. What is a Semitone?

A Semitone (also called a "Half Step") is the smallest musical interval in Western music. It represents the distance between two immediately adjacent notes.

Rule of Thumb: If there are NO keys between Note A and Note B, the distance is a Semitone.

2. Visualizing Movement

Moving from a white key to a black key is the most common example. It's a "one-step" movement.

Example: C to C#

Example: G to G#

3. The Tricky Ones (Exceptions)

Sometimes, moving from a White Key to a White Key is also a Semitone. This happens when there is no black key in between them.

Memorize these pairs:
B to C E to F

Example: B to C

Notice how there is no black key between B and C? That means they are neighbors.

4. The Chromatic Scale

If you play every single semitone in order, you create the Chromatic Scale. It includes all 12 unique notes in music before the pattern repeats.

  • Forces you to learn every key.
  • Builds a complete mental map of the keyboard.
  • Is the foundation for all other scales (Major, Minor, etc).

Pattern: C → C# → D → D# → E → F → F# → G → G# → A → A# → B → C

📜 Side Quest Board

You've learned the theory. Now it's time to test your skills in the field.

Quest Available: The Chromatic Construct
Discover the 12-tone infinite loop and how the system resets.
⚔️ START SIDE QUEST
Training Module: Semitone Scanner
Identify half-step movements in real-time.
🕹️ LAUNCH MINIGAME