# Half steps and whole steps

*Module 1 · Lesson 2: Notes and the fretboard · BazzLow*

> Measure distances between notes in half steps and whole steps, on one string.

Before this lesson: [1.1 The musical alphabet](https://bazzlow.com/en/notes-and-fretboard/musical-alphabet/)

You know the seven note names. Now you need to know how far apart they are, because they are not evenly spaced. On the bass, distance is easy to measure: you count frets.

## The half step

The smallest distance between two notes in Western music is the **half step**, also called a **semitone**. On the bass, a half step is **one fret** on the same string.

## The whole step

Two half steps make a **whole step**, also called a tone or **whole tone**. On the bass, a whole step is **two frets**.

> Half step = 1 fret. Whole step = 2 frets.

## The natural notes are not evenly spaced

Most neighbouring natural notes are a whole step apart: C–D, D–E, F–G, G–A and A–B. Two pairs are different:

- **E–F** is a half step;
- **B–C** is a half step.

Between two natural notes a whole step apart there is one more note. Lesson 1.3 gives it a name. Between E and F, and between B and C, there is no note at all.

So, going up any single string, the natural notes are two frets apart, except E→F and B→C, which are one fret apart. In the diagrams, W marks a whole step and H a half step.

> **Diagram:** The E string, frets 0–12, natural notes only: E 0, F 1, G 3, A 5, B 7, C 8, D 10, E 12. Steps: H W W W H W W.

> **Diagram:** The A string, frets 0–12, natural notes only: A 0, B 2, C 3, D 5, E 7, F 8, G 10, A 12. Steps: W H W W H W W.

The pattern is the same on both strings. Only the starting point changes, so the half steps fall on different frets.

## The pattern from C

Write the natural notes from C to the next C and mark each step:

C –W– D –W– E –H– F –W– G –W– A –W– B –H– C

That gives the pattern **W-W-H-W-W-W-H**. Keep it in mind: it comes back in Module 5 as the formula of the major scale.

## Try it

On the E string, play E F G A B C D E (frets 0 1 3 5 7 8 10 12) and say each name as you play it. Notice the two places where you move only one fret.

## New terms

- half step
- semitone
- whole step
- whole tone

Page: https://bazzlow.com/en/notes-and-fretboard/half-and-whole-steps/