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TheWholeStep
SQUARETWO:TheWholeStep
Review:Ahalfstep(alsocalledasemitone)isthesmallestmusicalintervalusedinWesternmusic.
Anintervalisthedistancebetweentwotones.
Awholestepiscomprisedoftwohalfsteps.
Goingbacktothepianokeyboard,awholestepisthedistancebetweentwokeyswithonlyonekeyinbetweenthem.
Theory - Building Blocks - Whole Steps
MartinGureaskonakedkeyboardist.com
So,let’slookatandlistentosomeexamplesofhowthewholestepsounds.
I’llstartwithathreenotemelody(usingthefirst3notesofascale).
Theory - Building Blocks - Whole Steps
MartinGureaskonakedkeyboardist.com
ThemelodyofMaryHadALittleLambiscomprisedofwholesteps.
IntheopeninglineofMaroon5’sSad,therearesomewholesteps,asshownintheexamplebelow.
Theory - Building Blocks - Whole Steps
MartinGureaskonakedkeyboardist.com
Unlikethehalfstep,whichcreatestensionordissonance,thewholestepispleasingandaddscolor.
Let’sreturntoNadia’sTheme,whichwelookedatinthelessononhalfsteps.
Theyellowhighlightsindicatethechordswithahalf-steptension,andtheviolethighlightsindicatethechordswithwholesteps.Noticethatthereisn’tnearlyasmuchtension.Infact,it’sanicewaytocolorachord.
Theory - Building Blocks - Whole Steps