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Half-steps In Music: F♯-G, for Example)
A half-step in music—a semitoe move—can often signal a modulation. Notice that move from F♯ to G. A chromatic note is involved in that half-step move. That’s the important thing here. Did songwriter Smith make this move to signal a change to another key (a modulation)? If so, which key is the music moving to?
First, have a look at the interval order of the major scale (for the umpteenth time):
There are two semitones in this interval order. One is between scale degrees 3 and 4. The other is between scale degrees 7 and 1 (8).
Next, have a look at Table 30 below (an excerpt of Table 24). It shows that only two keys have the specific interval, F♯ to G. One occurrence, in the key of D major, corresponds to the move from 3 to 4. The other, in the key of G major, from 7 to 1 (8).
TABLE 30 Major Keys with Occurrences of F♯-to-G Interval
