Identify Notes that are 3 Tones and 3 Semi-tones Apart
Listen to or play pairs of notes on a keyboard and identify whether they are three whole tones (six semitones) or three semitones apart.
Step-by-step guide to identify notes that are 3 tones and 3 semitones apart
Step 1
Place the keyboard and put paper pencil and colouring materials next to it so they are easy to reach.
Step 2
Sit comfortably and press any key once to choose and hear your starting note.
Step 3
Press the very next key to the right and listen to hear a single semitone above the starting note.
Step 4
From the starting note move one key at a time to the right and count each move aloud until you reach 3 then stop.
Step 5
Press the key where you stopped to hear the note that is 3 semitones above the starting note.
Step 6
From the starting note move one key at a time to the right and count each move aloud until you reach 6 then stop.
Step 7
Press the key where you stopped to hear the note that is 6 semitones (three whole tones) above the starting note.
Step 8
On your paper write Pair 1 through Pair 10 as empty slots so you have ten practice rounds.
Step 9
For each pair decide secretly whether you will make it a 3-semitone pair or a 6-semitone (three whole tones) pair and write that choice privately next to the pair number.
Step 10
Play each pair on the keyboard while keeping your paper hidden and listen carefully to the two notes.
Step 11
After listening to a pair write your guess next to that pair number as "3 semitones" or "3 whole tones."
Step 12
Check every guess by counting one key at a time from the lower note up to the higher note and see if you counted 3 or 6 semitones; mark correct answers.
Step 13
Tally how many you got right and write your score on the paper in a bright colour.
Step 14
Share your finished creation and score on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have a physical keyboard for the step 'press any key once to choose and hear your starting note'?
Use a free piano or keyboard app on a tablet or phone and keep your paper, pencil and colouring materials beside it so you can tap any onscreen key just like the instructions say.
I'm losing track when I 'move one key at a time to the right and count each move aloud'—how can I avoid mistakes?
Place a small sticker on your chosen starting key, slide your finger to touch each key as you count aloud, and replay the stopped key to check whether you reached 3 or 6 semitones per the counting steps.
How can I adapt the activity for younger or older children when the instructions ask to make Pair 1 through Pair 10?
For younger kids, cut the practice to 4–6 pairs and use coloured stickers on starting and target keys to help them count, while older kids can keep all ten pairs and add challenges like timing rounds or using notes across different octaves.
How can we extend or personalize the activity after we 'tally how many you got right and write your score on the paper in a bright colour'?
Turn it into a points game (for example 2 points for a correct '3 whole tones'), decorate your paper with colouring materials, record short audio of each pair as extra practice, and photograph the finished sheet and score to share on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to identify notes that are 3 tones and 3 semitones apart
Music Theory Lesson Tones and Semitones
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Music Theory Lesson Tones and Semitones
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What are Semitones and Tones?
Facts about ear training and music theory for kids
🎹 The tritone spans six semitones (three whole tones) and earned the nickname "diabolus in musica" — "the devil in music" — in medieval times.
🎵 Three semitones equal a minor third, the cozy-sad interval you hear in lullabies and many classic tunes.
😮 With just a few minutes of ear training, most kids can learn to tell a tritone from a minor third by listening.
🔢 On a keyboard, counting semitone steps is hands-on: three semitones = move three adjacent keys (including black keys); three whole tones = six keys.
🎸 Jazz, blues, and rock love the tritone for tension — it helped create iconic riffs and chord colors across modern music.
