Half Steps and Whole Steps

Lesson script

Half step: two notes with nothing between them on the keyboard (including black keys). Whole step: exactly one note between.

C to C♯/D♭ is a half. C to D is a whole.
F♯ and G♭ are the same piano key — two names.

Walk chromatically (all neighbors) then walk in whole steps and feel the difference.

Done when: you can build C–D–E–F by saying whole, whole, half.

Instrument paths

• Piano: Include black keys in the half-step walk.
• Strings: Slide or finger adjacent frets / neighboring pitches.
• Percussion: Two tap speeds: tight = half, wider = whole (feel, not science).

Learning modes

• Solo child: Child builds W-W-H from C.
• Child + parent: Parent points; child says half or whole.
• Family: One plays two notes; others vote half/whole.