Tones and Semitones

 

A semitone is the smallest note interval used in modern music. It corresponds to the space between two consecutive notes on a keyboard or two consecutive frets on a guitar/bass (e.g. C – C#, C# - D, etc.).

 

A tone is double the distance of a semi tone. This corresponds to the distance between two notes on a keyboard or two frets on a guitar/bass (e.g. C – D, D – E, F# - G#)

 

 

Major Scales

A major scale always follows the same structural format. Taking any starting note a major scale can be constructed by adding notes at intervals as follows.

 

Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semitone (T, T, S, T, T, T, S).

C-D,   D-E,   E-F,          F-G,  G-A,  A-B,  B-C

 

 

 

Note: All scales must feature ALL letter names; and each only ONCE. This means that if a scale has the note “A” in it cannot then have “A#” but instead must use “Bb”. If “A#” was used in this scale the next note would be C and the scale would have 2 As (A and A#) and no B.