question about half steps

Hi,

Why half steps and not single and double steps? (speaking of intervals between two notes, of course)

Regards,

Whole steps are used, and though they're rarely if ever called that, double steps are too. Quarter steps are used, too. What is the question exactly?

Just an accident of history and nomenclature. When accidentals were accepted into the inner circle and ceased being false music, the extra tones were inserted between the 'steps' that already existed, hence half step seems like a logical choice.

Because there are only 8 notes in a (Western) scale, not 12.

It's historical I guess. In most of the non-US parts of the world they are called tones and semitones rather than steps and half steps.

Bernard Hill Braeburn Software Author of Music Publisher system Music Software written by musicians for musicians http://www.braeburn.co.uk Selkirk, Scotland 01750 21854 +44 1750 21854

The expression 'half steps' is more an American nomenclature - in Britain my experience is that we tend more to call them 'semitones' and two of them make a 'tone'. (A scale comprising only intervals of a tone is called a 'whole tone scale', and one comprising only intervals of a semitone is called a 'chromatic scale' - language is like that!)

And the word 'tone' is not use here to mean a 'note' as it is in the USA - it means either two semitones or something akin to 'timbre'.

The question is who invented the steps dance ?

Answer: Stepan Stepanovich Stepov who had a family of eigth and only one bathroom.

Amir Oren

'Single and double steps' probably is a better description (better nomenclature) in this day and age where the chromatic scale is so prevalent. But there was a time, from at least ancient Greece to quite recently, when seven tone scales and their 'modes' were pretty much the only game in town. In those earlier models of intervals and scales, the 'whole-step' was called among other things the 'tone'.

'tone' and 'semi-tone' 'whole-step' and 'half-step'

If, thousands of years ago, you're looking for mathematical or arithmetical order in the universe then the simple integer number ratios as they apply to musical pitch would have drawn your attention. Back then, they would have used different names for these ratios with either different or no numeric associations, e.g. probably no 'fiveness' associated to the 2:3 ratio (or a different kind of 'fiveness', the additive kind), but here's the list of some of the most important intervals which coincidentally (or is it magic?, God?, cosmic arithmetic? ) are made of the smallest integer ratios, in order:

Octave = 1:2 Fifth = 2:3 Fourth = 3:4

Maj 3rd = 4:5

Min 3rd = 5:6

First consider that the octave, fifth, and fourth intervals where highest in the list of importance as being natural consonances

And did he live in the steppes of Central Asia?

So it goes micro, semi, half, whole...and then the double step, who ran away with the much hated tritone so as not to bring dishonor to intolerant neighbors. So double tone and tritone headed east to avoid persecution