AQA GCSE Music 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

A semitone is defined as the interval between two adjacent pitches on a keyboard instrument. This concept is fundamental in music theory as it represents the smallest interval used in Western music. When you look at a piano keyboard, each key is a half step away from its neighboring key, whether it's a white key or a black key. This close proximity defines the semitone, which is crucial in forming larger intervals and scales.

The other options do not accurately describe a semitone. A whole step, for instance, consists of two semitones and is a larger interval. A multiple of a whole note refers to a measurement of time in music rather than pitch. Lastly, while musical scales may be constructed using semitones, describing a semitone as a specific type of scale does not accurately reflect its definition. This understanding of intervals is essential for recognizing patterns in melody and harmony in various musical contexts.