Several notes share the same pitch but have different names. The interval between G and A is a whole step because it consists of two half steps (G to A flat and A flat to A). If we lower the B to B flat, we make the interval larger by increasing the distance between the two notes by half step, which now makes the interval a whole step. The interval between B and C is also a naturally occuring half step. The distance between E and F# is now a whole step because it consists of two half steps (E to F and F to F#). The interval between E and F is a naturally occuring half step, but if we raised F to F#, we then make the distance further apart. Remember from the last lesson that accidentals raise or lower notes by half steps. In the key of C Major, those two half steps are between B & C and E & F. In a major scale, there are two naturally occuring half steps. Those are the two naturally occuring half steps in a major scale. The distance between the 3rd and 4th notes and the 7th and 8th notes are half steps. The distance between the first two notes in a Major scale is a whole step. All Major scales follow this exact pattern: W W H W W W H (whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half). Naturally Occuring Half StepsĮach note is a certain distance apart from the next, and they form a pattern that repeats. The distance from A to B, however, is a whole step because it consists of two half steps. The distance from B to C is a half step because no other notes fall between them. For now we are only considering Major scales. We'll discuss the difference between Major and minor scales, as well as other scales/modes, at a later time. This is a major scale in the key of C Major. The C Major scale starts from C and ends at C. Since we haven't learned key signatures yet, we'll relate them to the key of C Major, which has no sharps or flats. In this lesson, we will only learn about the half and whole step intervals.

An interval is the distance between two notes.

First note c has seven sharps