[stanron]

Originally Posted by XYRN

It is said that a major triad is made of the "1st, 3rd and 5th steps" source of a major scale.
But steps seems like a vague term that is messing me up. Another source calls it the "root, 3rd and 5th", which makes a little more sense to me but then when I try to think about semitones and intervals, especially intervals I can't reconcile "root" with "1st step".

Take the C major scale: C D E F G A B (C). And the C major chord, C-E-G.
The C is the root, and it's the first NOTE in the scale, but it's not the first step up, it's the zero'th step up, right?

And then there is the concept of 'whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step', where a "step" equals two semitones and a half step is one semitone.

Are the various sources using the term "step" differently based on whether they're talking semitones vs position within a scale vs intervals?

Oh, and then chords within a key, they still go by the I ii iii IV V vi vii even if it's the C major scale, right? The chords in that key are C Dminor Eminor F G Aminor Bminor, right? That's independent of whether there are sharps and flats in the key, am I correct?

Am I on the right track or am I just confused?
It feels like it's starting to crystallize but there are some gaps in my comprehension.

Thank you.

Calling the notes of the scale 'steps' is at least careless if not confusing for the reasons you point out. A term I prefer is 'degrees' of the scale.
Whole step and half step are good usage of the word step.
Chord vii is B diminished rather than minor.

In a major chord the interval between the first and third degree is a major third (two whole steps) and the interval between the third and fifth degrees is a minor third (a half step and a whole step).

In a minor chord the interval between the first and third degree is a minor third (a half step and a whole step) and the interval between the third and fifth degrees is a major third (two whole steps).

In B diminished or B dim the interval between the first and third degree is a minor third (a half step and a whole step) and the interval between the third and fifth degrees is also minor third.

Seems to me you are well on the right track. Cheers.