Doubting My Intelligence

Discussion in 'General Instruction [BG]' started by Microbass, Jan 12, 2003.

  1. fdhghgsjsjhderi.. er..

    OK, in Jazz's lesson, I'm going over it. The major scale is made up of this formula - T, T, S, T, T, T, S.

    Why is the D-E a semitone? And B'-C' a semitone??

    I figured out that the white-to-black note son pianos/KB's = semitones, right? So I don't undertsnad why in the Cmaj scale these are semitones..

    PLease explain, thanks! :)
  2. there's a semitone between E-F and B-C in the C major scale.

    since you mentioned piano, I can explain it easily. between C and D there's one black note, so that's a wholetone. between E and F there's no black note, so it's a semitone. On your bass, there's one fret between C and D, but none between E and F.

    I hope this helped you somewhat.
  3. Oh ok, I think I got it!

    YAy! I ish smrt!!!

    The D-E has a d#/eb in there anyway, anywhere on the fretboard, therefore changing strings doesn't affect it!

    But I can't figure out why B-C to is a semitone? Doh.. :confused:
  4. JMX

    JMX Vorsprung durch Technik

    Sep 4, 2000
    Cologne, Germany
    I don't think there's a "reason" for this, it just is that way.
  5. christoph h.

    christoph h.

    Mar 26, 2001
    perhaps it will help you if you just list all of the
    "keys" in one octave on the piano:

    C-c#-D-d#-E-F-f#-G-g#-A-a#-B- [C]

    by the way, you got it mixed up. the first semitone-distance in the major scale is not between D and E but between E and F. this may be the cause of your confusion.

    but if you are asking for a "reason" why the major cale is constructed like that i can't help you.
  6. DOH, BAss, I missed your reply, completly!

    I managed to figure it out, eventually by myself, so that's good? lol.

    Thanks anyway, man!! [​IMG]

    :cool: :D
  7. moley


    Sep 5, 2002
    Hampshire, UK
    Like they said, D-E isn't a semitone, it's a tone - you calculated wrong with yer t-t-s-t-t-t-s :)

    The semitones are B-C and E-F, like the others said. As for why, well, I suppose like JMX said, that's the way it is... but it's certainly incredibly useful (well, essential) as far as pianos are concerned. Imagine what it'd be like otherwise. If between each pair of white notes there was a black note, how the hell would you know where you are on a piano? You wouldn't. It's the B-C and E-F semitone pairings with no black notes in between that create the characteristic grouping of black notes in 3s and 2s - and that's how you tell where you are on a piano.

    But if you don't play the piano, then as far as you're concerned, I suppose you just have to think that that's just the way it's setup. You just have to know and accept that B-C and E-F are a semitones not tones. :)
  8. C# is the next tone after B!

    This is why C is a semitone! And no, I don't play piano.

    Sorry, may as well close this thread lol, I keep missing everyone's reply! lol
  9. that's really good... now go and continue reading jazzbo's lesson! :D