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I didn't understand key signatures or anything, you know. I'd say silly things at the top of a trumpet part like, 'Note, when you play B naturals, make the B naturals a half step lower because they sound funny if they're B naturals.' And some guy said: 'Idiot, just put a flat on the third line and it's a key signature, you know?'
Quincy Jones

Meaning of "half step" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF HALF STEP

half step  [hɑːf stɛp] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF HALF STEP

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Half step is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES HALF STEP MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Semitone

A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically. It is defined as the interval between two adjacent notes in a 12-tone scale (e.g. from C to C♯). This implies that its size is exactly or approximately equal to 100 cents, a twelfth of an octave. In a 12-note approximately equally divided scale, any interval can be defined in terms of an appropriate number of semitones (e.g. a whole tone or major second is 2 semitones wide, a major third 4 semitones, and a perfect fifth 7 semitones. In music theory, a distinction is made between a diatonic semitone, or minor second (an interval encompassing two staff positions, e.g. from C to D♭) and a chromatic semitone or augmented unison (an interval between two notes at the same staff position, e.g. from C to C♯). These are enharmonically equivalent when twelve-tone equal temperament is used, but are not the same thing in meantone temperament, where the diatonic semitone is distinguished from and larger than the chromatic semitone (augmented unison.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH HALF STEP


counterstep
ˈkaʊntəˌstɛp
doorstep
ˈdɔːˌstɛp
dubstep
ˈdʌbˌstɛp
footstep
ˈfʊtˌstɛp
instep
ˈɪnˌstɛp
lockstep
ˈlɒkˌstɛp
misstep
ˌmɪsˈstɛp
multistep
ˈmʌltɪˌstɛp
outstep
ˌaʊtˈstɛp
overstep
ˌəʊvəˈstɛp
quickstep
ˈkwɪkˌstɛp
sidestep
ˈsaɪdˌstɛp
stair-step
ˈstɛərˌstɛp
stairstep
ˈstɛərˌstɛp
step
stɛp
steppe
stɛp
unstep
ʌnˈstɛp
upstep
ˈʌpˌstɛp

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE HALF STEP

half an hour
half and half
half board
half coupling
half eagle
half fare
half frame
half gainer
half holiday
half landing
half measure
half measures
half pay
half pint
half rest
half seas over
half term
half tiger
half two
half volley

WORDS THAT END LIKE HALF STEP

break step
corbel step
crow step
curtail step
false step
goose step
in step
keep step
naughty step
one-step
out of step
single-step
slip step
step by step
step-by-step
to be on the naughty step
twelve-step
two-step
watch one´s step
whole step

Synonyms and antonyms of half step in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «half step» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF HALF STEP

Find out the translation of half step to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of half step from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «half step» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

半步
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

medio paso
570 millions of speakers

English

half step
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

आधा कदम
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

نصف خطوة
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

полшага
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

meio tom
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

অর্ধেক ধাপ
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

demi-pas
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Setengah langkah
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Halbschritt
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

半歩
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

반 단계
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Setengah langkah
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

nửa bước
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

அரை படி
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

अर्धा पायरी
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Yarım adım
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

mezzo passo
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

pół kroku
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

півкроку
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

jumătate pas
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

μισό βήμα
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

half stap
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

halv steg
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

halvt trinn
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of half step

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «HALF STEP»

The term «half step» is regularly used and occupies the 95.458 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
56
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «half step» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of half step
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «half step».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «HALF STEP» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «half step» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «half step» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about half step

EXAMPLES

2 QUOTES WITH «HALF STEP»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word half step.
1
Quincy Jones
I didn't understand key signatures or anything, you know. I'd say silly things at the top of a trumpet part like, 'Note, when you play B naturals, make the B naturals a half step lower because they sound funny if they're B naturals.' And some guy said: 'Idiot, just put a flat on the third line and it's a key signature, you know?'
2
Vince McMahon
Sometimes you have to take a half step back to take two forward.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «HALF STEP»

Discover the use of half step in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to half step and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
A half step behind: Japanese women today
In A Half Step Behind, author and journalist Jane Condon explores this often ignored other half of the Japanese success story--Japanese women.
Jane Condon, 1991
2
Mama Didn't Half-Step: A Mother's Role in Restoring the Family
The author’s vision is that women will read this book and make a new commitment to embrace their God-given roles as mothers in their homes. -First Lady Bethelyn Henderson Abundant Life Fellowship Church Memphis, Tennessee
Heather Deberry Stephens, 2013
3
Integral Leadership: The Next Half-Step
A groundbreaking book that brings the insights of Integral Theory to business and organizational development.
John P. Forman, Laurel A. Ross, 2013
4
Essentials of Music Theory, Bk 2: Teacher's Activity Kit
t/i* artec completing page 45 Uffili AI-TIUITV 2 Name/Class Tetrachords (C G and D) Whole and Half Steps Tetrachords (F, C and B?), Whole and Half Steps whether black or white, is a half Step . Q Write a half note in each measure above or ...
Karen Surmani, Morton Manus, Andrew Surmani, 2002
5
A Guide to Non-Jazz Improvisation
Dan Fox, Dick Weissman. The F harmonic minor scale has The same key signaTure as Al major, so B, E, A, and D are flaTTed. Then The E is changed To a naTural when iT appears in The music. Whole step half step Whole step whole step ...
Dan Fox, Dick Weissman, 2011
6
The Correct Order of Fundamental Harmonies: A Treatise on ...
(b) Diatonic Half-steps. eta A step is a progression from one tone to another, involving an inaudible chromatic half-step, e. g. : I I etc. SECTION II. An ascending or descending intermingled succession of five steps and two diatonic half-steps ...
Simon Sechter, 1871
7
Barron's AP Music Theory
distance between two notes (known as interval) is called a half step. There is an interval of a half step between E and F and B and C. Between every adjacent note on the piano keyboard there is a half step, or in other words, between every two ...
Nancy Scoggin, 2010
8
Football Kicking and Punting
The two-step is identical to the two-and-a-half-step approach except it doesn't have the short, quick half-step. The first step is a full directional step with the punting foot, and the second step is a longer plant step with the nonpunting foot.
Ray Guy, Rick Sang
9
Alfred's Self-teaching Adult Piano Course: The New, Easy and ...
A half step is the distance from any key to the very next key above or below, whether black or white. Look at the top keyboard chart to the right. Notice the small red text above the chart as it highlights the half steps. From C, the next higher key is ...
Willard A. Palmer, Morton Manus, Alfred Publishing, 2008
10
The Basic Guide to how to Read Music
A major ** Half Half Step Step Step Step Step Step A minor harmonic Half Step Half Half Step Half Step i Half Step Step (Half Step The first rule will help us to find the minor key with one sharp: the key note will be a perfect 5th above A. Thus , ...
Helen Cooper, 1985

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «HALF STEP»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term half step is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Dust Devils finish off Emeralds in 5-4 win | Tri-City … - Tri-City Herald
Belen reached down with his bare hand and came up throwing, getting Alamo by a half step at first. Streaks & stats. Urena, who is tied for third ... «Mid Columbia Tri City Herald, Jul 15»
2
Boy Scouts Of America Committee Approves Resolution Ending Ban …
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, criticized the plan, calling it a “half step.” “The vote by the ... «On Top Magazine, Jul 15»
3
Kenner League Recap: July 12, 2015
-Overall game was fine. Always works hard, but just seems a half step slower than he needs to be when he tries to make aggressive offense ... «Casual Hoya, Jul 15»
4
Arts & Entertainment calendar
14; The Half Step tribute to Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, 8 p.m. Aug. 29. CONCERTS ON THE COMMON: The Kittery Recreation ... «Foster's Daily Democrat, Jul 15»
5
Bed-Stuy's Newest Condos Are All Less Than $1M
The exterior is a half step up from a Fedders building. Also, couldn't they "splurge" for something better than acrylic bathtubs and home depot ... «Curbed NY, Jul 15»
6
For Lt. Derrick Gamble, Confederate flag ceremony was just 'another …
They marched at half step, their arms swinging in unison at their sides until they reached the black gates surrounding the 30-foot pole. «Charleston Post Courier, Jul 15»
7
Confederate flag supporters take in flag's final moments at State …
... that the legislative let be told around here when they said that the Sons of Confederate Veterans wouldn't bring this flag down and half step it. «WIS, Jul 15»
8
Dust Devils fall in early hole, lose 10-4 to Eugene
... then sprinted to chase the ball down before throwing Kennedy out at first by a half step. The Dust Devils also had a couple of nice catches in ... «Mid Columbia Tri City Herald, Jul 15»
9
Sooners defeat Halifax for fourth straight win
... Forrest for the out at second base before the pivot-man whipped a hard and accurate throw to first base to beat the batsman by a half step. «Cape Breton Post, Jul 15»
10
Chizu, Hamlet and Portland's one-dish restaurant revival
It's no surprise that food carts are embracing this half step. Portland All Star Nong's Khao Man Gai has expanded beyond its namesake dish ... «OregonLive.com, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Half step [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/half-step>. May 2024 ».
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