Intervals & Scales

Chromatic scale

In Western music, a chromatic scale (or twelve-tone scale) is a set of twelve pitches within an octave, where the interval between any two adjacent notes is a semitone. The chromatic scale is a

Definition#

The chromatic scale is a musical scale with twelve pitches, each a semitone, also known as a half-step, above or below its adjacent pitches. As a result, in 12-tone equal temperament (the most common tuning in Western music), the chromatic scale covers all 12 of the available pitches. Thus, there is only one chromatic scale in this tuning. The ratio of the frequency of one note in the scale to that of the preceding note is given by \sqrt 12 2 \approxeq 1.06 . In equal temperament, all the semitones have the same size (100 cents), and there are twelve semitones in an octave (1200 cents). As a result, the notes of an equal-tempered chromatic scale are equally-spaced. The ascending and descending chromatic scale is shown below. : \override Score.TimeSignature #‘stencil = ##f \relative c’ \clef treble \time 12/4 c4^\markup Ascending cis d dis e f fis g gis a ais b c^\markup Descending b bes a aes g ges f e es d des c

Notation#

The chromatic scale has no set enharmonic spelling that is always used. Its spelling is, however, often dependent upon major or minor key signatures and whether the scale is ascending or descending. In general, the chromatic scale is usually notated with sharp signs when ascending and flat signs when descending. It is also notated so that no scale degree is used more than twice in succession (for instance, G – G – G). Similarly, some notes of the chromatic scale have enharmonic equivalents in solfege. The rising scale is Do, Di, Re, Ri, Mi, Fa, Fi, Sol, Si, La, Li, Ti and the descending is Ti, Te/Ta, La, Le/Lo, Sol, Se, Fa, Mi, Me/Ma, Re, Ra, Do, However, once 0 is given to a note, due to octave equivalence, the chromatic scale may be indicated unambiguously by the numbers 0-11 mod twelve. Thus two perfect fifths are 0-7-2. Tone rows, orderings used in the twelve-tone technique, are often considered this way due to the increased ease of comparing inverse intervals and forms (inversional equivalence).

Pythagorean#

The most common conception of the chromatic scale before the 13th century was the Pythagorean chromatic scale (). Due to a different tuning technique, the twelve semitones in this scale have two slightly different sizes. Thus, the scale is not perfectly symmetric. Many other tuning systems, developed in the ensuing centuries, share a similar asymmetry. In Pythagorean tuning (i.e. 3-limit just intonation) the chromatic scale is tuned as follows, in perfect fifths from G to A centered on D (in bold) (G–D–A–E–B–F–C–G–D–A–E–B–F–C–G–D–A), with sharps higher than their enharmonic flats (cents rounded to one decimal): : where is a diatonic semitone (Pythagorean limma) and is a chromatic semitone (Pythagorean apotome).

Just intonation#

In 5-limit just intonation the chromatic scale, Ptolemy’s intense chromatic scale, is as follows, with flats higher than their enharmonic sharps, and new notes between E–F and B–C (cents rounded to one decimal): : The fractions and , and , and , and , and many other pairs are interchangeable, as (the syntonic comma) is tempered out.

Non-Western cultures#

The ancient Chinese chromatic scale is called Shí-èr-lǜ. However, “it should not be imagined that this gamut ever functioned as a scale, and it is erroneous to refer to the ‘Chinese chromatic scale’, as some Western writers have done. The series of twelve notes known as the twelve lü were simply a series of fundamental notes from which scales could be constructed.” However, “from the standpoint of tonal music the chromatic scale is not an independent scale, but derives from the diatonic scale,” making the Western chromatic scale a gamut of fundamental notes from which scales could be constructed as well.

External links#

The Chromatic Scale arranged for guitar in several fingerings. (Formatted for easy printing)
The 12 golden notes of music
Chromatic Scale – Analysis