Half step = next key
Move one key to the right. C to C♯ is a half step. E to F is also a half step, even though both keys are white.
C1 moveC♯
Unit 5 · Lesson 1 of 12 — IB MYP: Personal and Cultural Expression · Communication
Whole and half steps
A step is the distance from one note to another. Count every piano key you pass, whether it is black or white.
Whole step = two half steps
Skip over one key to reach the next. From C to D, you pass C♯, so the distance is one whole step.
C1C♯2D
In this lesson
Learning Targets
- Count the half steps and whole steps between any two piano keys
- Explain why E–F and B–C are a half step apart with no black key between them
IB MYP connection
Command terms: COUNT · APPLY
CountApply
Learner Profile · ATL
Knowledgeable · Thinker — Thinking: connect scale and chord knowledge to the melodies and harmonies you build.
Task
Use the keyboard below to build each answer, checking your own counting before moving on.
Inquiry: How does counting piano keys help you predict what a key signature will do to a scale?
Reflect: What strategy do you now use to count whole and half steps quickly?
Now you try
0 of 3 correctBuild 3 answers
All 3 activities are visible. Build each answer on the keyboard to continue.