Which term designates a half-step between two notes with different letter names, occurring naturally in major or minor scales?

Which term designates a half-step between two notes with different letter names, occurring naturally in major or minor scales?

• A. Diatonic Half-Step
• B. Chromatic Half-Step
• C. Whole Step
• D. Augmented Second

Answer: (A)

Semitones that occur naturally inside major and minor scales are diatonic half-steps. These are the small steps between adjacent notes that have different letter names, like E to F or B to C in a C major context. That’s why the term you want is diatonic half-step. A chromatic half-step, by contrast, is between notes with the same letter name (for example, C to C#), which isn’t a natural step within the diatonic scale. A whole step would be two semitones, and an augmented second is two semitones but spelled as a second interval, not a single diatonic half-step.

Semitones that occur naturally inside major and minor scales are diatonic half-steps. These are the small steps between adjacent notes that have different letter names, like E to F or B to C in a C major context. That’s why the term you want is diatonic half-step. A chromatic half-step, by contrast, is between notes with the same letter name (for example, C to C#), which isn’t a natural step within the diatonic scale. A whole step would be two semitones, and an augmented second is two semitones but spelled as a second interval, not a single diatonic half-step.