All Topics  
Chromatic scale

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Chromatic scale
 
 
  Topics Chromatic scale Topic Home

The chromatic scale is a musical scale
Musical scale

In music, a scale is a group of musical note collected in ascending and descending order that provides material for or is used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical work including melody and/or harmony....
 with twelve pitch
Pitch (music)

Pitch represents the perceived fundamental frequency of a sound. It is one of the three major auditory system attributes of sounds along with loudness and timbre....
es, each a semitone
Semitone

A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone,Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and others use "half tone".One source says that step is "chiefly US", and that half-tone is "chiefly N....
 or half step apart. "A chromatic scale is a nondiatonic scale
Diatonic scale

In music theory, a diatonic scale is a seven note musical scale comprising five whole steps and two half steps, in which the half steps are maximally separated....
 consisting entirely of half-step intervals
Interval (music)

In music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitch of two notes.Intervals may be described as:*vertical if the two notes sound simultaneously...
," having, "no tonic
Tonic (music)

The tonic is the first note of a scale in the tonality method of musical composition. The chord #The Triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord ....
," due to the symmetry or equal spacing of its tones.

The most common conception of the chromatic scale before equal temperament
Equal temperament

Equal temperament is a musical temperament, or a system of Musical tuning in which every pair of adjacent notes has an identical frequency ratios....
 was the Pythagorean chromatic scale
Pythagorean tuning

Pythagorean tuning is a system of musical tuning in which the frequency relationships of all interval are based on the ratio sesquialterum. Its name comes from medieval texts which attribute its discovery to Pythagoras, but its use has been documented as long ago as 3500 B.C....
, which is essentially a series of eleven 3:2 perfect fifth
Perfect fifth

The perfect fifth is the musical interval between a note and the note seven semitones above it on the musical scale. For example, the note G lies a perfect fifth above C; D is a perfect fifth above G, C is a perfect fifth above F, and so on....
s.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Chromatic scale'
Start a new discussion about 'Chromatic scale'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The chromatic scale is a musical scale
Musical scale

In music, a scale is a group of musical note collected in ascending and descending order that provides material for or is used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical work including melody and/or harmony....
 with twelve pitch
Pitch (music)

Pitch represents the perceived fundamental frequency of a sound. It is one of the three major auditory system attributes of sounds along with loudness and timbre....
es, each a semitone
Semitone

A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone,Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and others use "half tone".One source says that step is "chiefly US", and that half-tone is "chiefly N....
 or half step apart. "A chromatic scale is a nondiatonic scale
Diatonic scale

In music theory, a diatonic scale is a seven note musical scale comprising five whole steps and two half steps, in which the half steps are maximally separated....
 consisting entirely of half-step intervals
Interval (music)

In music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitch of two notes.Intervals may be described as:*vertical if the two notes sound simultaneously...
," having, "no tonic
Tonic (music)

The tonic is the first note of a scale in the tonality method of musical composition. The chord #The Triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord ....
," due to the symmetry or equal spacing of its tones.

Chromatic Scale Full Octave Ascending and Descending On C
The most common conception of the chromatic scale before equal temperament
Equal temperament

Equal temperament is a musical temperament, or a system of Musical tuning in which every pair of adjacent notes has an identical frequency ratios....
 was the Pythagorean chromatic scale
Pythagorean tuning

Pythagorean tuning is a system of musical tuning in which the frequency relationships of all interval are based on the ratio sesquialterum. Its name comes from medieval texts which attribute its discovery to Pythagoras, but its use has been documented as long ago as 3500 B.C....
, which is essentially a series of eleven 3:2 perfect fifth
Perfect fifth

The perfect fifth is the musical interval between a note and the note seven semitones above it on the musical scale. For example, the note G lies a perfect fifth above C; D is a perfect fifth above G, C is a perfect fifth above F, and so on....
s. The twelve-tone equally tempered scale tempers, or modifies, the Pythagorean chromatic scale by lowering each fifth slightly less than two cents
Cent (music)

The cent is a logarithmic scale unit of measure used for musical interval . Typically cents are used to measure extremely small intervals, or to compare the sizes of comparable intervals in different tuning systems, and in fact the interval of one cent is much too small to be heard between successive notes....
, thus eliminating the Pythagorean comma
Comma (music)

In music theory, a comma is a small or very small interval between two enharmonic notes tuned in different ways. For example, an A flat tuned as a major third below C in just intonation, and a G sharp tuned as a major third above E, will not be exactly the same note....
 of approximately 23.5 cents. Various other temperaments have also been proposed and implemented.

The term chromatic derives from the Greek word chroma, meaning color. Chromatic notes are traditionally understood as harmonically inessential embellishments, shadings, or inflections of diatonic notes.

Keyboard fingering


Here is the standard keyboard
Musical keyboard

A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the interval of an octave....
 fingering for a chromatic scale; where 1 means the thumb; 2 the index finger; 3 the middle finger:

Chromatic Scale

Historical usage


Nonwestern cultures

  • The ancient Chinese
    Music of China

    The music of China dates back to the dawn of Chinese civilization with documents and artifacts providing evidence of a well-developed musical culture as early as the Zhou Dynasty ....
     chromatic scale is called Shi Er Lü
    Shi Er Lü

    Shi Er L? , literally translated as 12 Pitch , sometimes named as Chinese chromatic scale .It is one kind of Chromatic scale used in ancient Music of China....
    .
  • The Indian
    Music of India

    The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk music, popular music, pop music, and Indian classical music. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic music and Hindustani music, has a history panning millennia and, developed over several eras, it remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as sources of religio...
     solfege i.e. Sargam
    Swara

    The notes, or swaras, of Indian music are shadja, rishabh, gandhar, madhyam, pancham, dhaivat and nishad. Collectively these notes are known as the sargam....
     makes up the twelve notes of the chromatic scale with respective sharps and flats.


Audio examples



The chromatic scale is a scale with eleven piches each a semi-tone or

Sources


External links