HEMITONE Meaning and
Definition
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A hemitone is a musical term that refers to a musical interval consisting of a half step or a half-tone. It is the smallest distance or pitch difference between two adjacent notes in Western music. The term 'hemitone' is derived from the Greek words 'hemi', meaning half, and 'tonos', meaning tone or pitch.
In Western music theory, a half step is equivalent to moving one key on a piano keyboard, or one fret on a guitar or other stringed instrument. This interval is also seen as the smallest movement in the chromatic scale, which is a scale that includes all twelve pitches in an octave, including both the natural pitches and the sharps/flats.
Hemitones are used extensively in music to create tension, dissonance, and resolution. Different combinations of hemitones help define musical scales, chords, and melodic patterns. For example, a major scale consists of a pattern of whole steps (two half steps) and half steps, while a minor scale typically has a different arrangement of these intervals.
Overall, the term 'hemitone' describes a half step or a half-tone interval in music, representing the smallest difference in pitch between adjacent notes. This interval plays a crucial role in creating various scales, chords, melodies, and harmonies in Western music.
Common Misspellings for HEMITONE
- gemitone
- bemitone
- nemitone
- jemitone
- uemitone
- yemitone
- hwmitone
- hsmitone
- hdmitone
- hrmitone
- h4mitone
- h3mitone
- henitone
- hekitone
- hejitone
- hemutone
- hemjtone
- hemktone
- hemotone
Etymology of HEMITONE
The word "hemitone" is derived from the combination of two Greek roots: "hemi" meaning "half" and "tonos" meaning "tone" or "note". In music theory, a half tone refers to the smallest interval commonly used, which is equal to the distance between adjacent keys on a piano keyboard. Therefore, "hemitone" signifies a half tone or semitone in music.
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