half steps
Adjacent piano keys
Half steps are the smallest intervals in Western music—the distance between any two adjacent keys on a piano, whether white to black or white to white.
Moving from C to C-sharp is a half step, as is moving from E to F.
Two half steps make a whole step.
The term also describes cautious, incremental progress: The committee moved in half steps toward reform.
Minimum Western musical interval
- chromaticRelating to color
- intervalDuration between two points
- fretAgitation or fingerboard guide
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
flat · pitch · scale · keyboard · piano · note · tone · accidental
Developing slowly over time
- partialFavoring one side
- incompleteLacking necessary parts
- incrementalProceeding by small additions
- piecemealIn separate stages
fractional · modest · tentative · cautious · conservative · measured · small change · progressive
semitone
Minimum Western musical interval
sharp · flat · pitch · scale · keyboard · piano · note · tone · accidental · enharmonic
gradual
Developing slowly over time
- partialFavoring one side
- incompleteLacking necessary parts
- incrementalProceeding by small additions
piecemeal · fractional · modest · tentative · cautious · conservative · measured · small change · progressive · stepwise
shuffle
Randomize by mixing
edge · sidle · tentative · hesitant · cautious · stair · ledge · landing · gradual · mincing
half, step, halves, halved, halving, halfway, halfhearted, steps, stepped