Inmusic, astep, orconjunct motion,[1] is the difference inpitch between two consecutivenotes of amusical scale. In other words, it is theinterval between two consecutivescale degrees. Any larger interval is called askip (also called aleap), ordisjunct motion.[1]
In thediatonic scale, a step is either aminor second (sometimes also calledhalf step) or amajor second (sometimes also calledwhole step), with all intervals of aminor third or larger being skips. For example, C to D (major second) is a step, whereas C to E (major third) is a skip.
More generally, a step is a smaller or narrower interval in a musical line, and a skip is a wider or larger interval with the categorization of intervals into steps and skips is determined by thetuning system and thepitch space used.
Melodic motion in which the interval between any two consecutive pitches is no more than a step, or, less strictly, where skips are rare, is calledstepwise orconjunctmelodic motion, as opposed toskipwise ordisjunct melodic motion, characterized by frequent skips.
In themajor scale or any of its modes, a step will always be a movement of 1 or 2 semitones, and a skip a movement of 3 or more semitones.
In other scales anaugmented second—anincomposite step equivalent to 3 semitones—and/or adiminished third—a skip of 2 semitones—may be possible.
Melody may be characterized by its degree and type of conjunct and disjunct motion. For example,Medievalplainchant melodies are generally characterized by conjunct motion with occasional thirds, fourths, and generally ascending fifths while larger intervals are quite rare though octave leaps may occur between two separatephrases.[4]Renaissance melodies are generally characterized by conjunct motion, with only occasional leaps of more than afifth and then rarely anything but a sixth oroctave.[1] In contrast, melody in the 20th century varied greatly including thediatonic idiom of the 18th century (Classical), the variety of idioms from the 19th century (Romantic), and newer nondiatonic scales in the20th century.[5] Some of these later idioms included many or predominantly leaps.
