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Diatonic scale on C
In music theory, a diatonic scale is any heptatonic scale that includes five whole steps (whole tones) and two half steps (semitones) in each octave, in which the two half steps are separated from each other by either two or three whole steps, depending on their position in the scale. This pattern ensures that, in a diatonic scale spanning more than one octave, all the half steps are maximally separated from each other (i.e. separated by at least two whole steps).
The seven pitches of any diatonic scale can also be obtained by using a chain of six perfect fifths. For instance, the seven natural pitch classes that form the C-major scale can be obtained from a stack of perfect fifths starting from F:
F–C–G–D–A–E–B
Any sequence of seven successive natural notes, such as C–D–E–F–G–A–B, and any transposition thereof, is a diatonic scale. Modern musical keyboards are designed so that the white-key notes form a diatonic scale, though transpositions of this diatonic scale require one or more black keys. A diatonic scale can be also described as two tetrachords separated by a whole tone. In musical set theory, Allen Forte classifies diatonic scales as set form 7–35.
The term diatonic originally referred to the diatonic genus, one of the three genera of the ancient Greeks, and comes from Ancient Greek: διατονικός, romanized: diatonikós, of uncertain etymology. Most likely, it refers to the intervals being "stretched out" in that tuning, in contrast to the other two genera (chromatic and enharmonic).
This article does not concern alternative seven-note scales such as the harmonic minor or the melodic minor which, although sometimes called "diatonic", do not fulfill the condition of maximal separation of the semitones indicated above.
In music theory, a diatonicscale is any heptatonic scale that includes five whole steps (whole tones) and two half steps (semitones) in each octave, in...
Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are used to characterize scales. The terms are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords...
The major scale (or Ionian mode) is one of the most commonly used musical scales, especially in Western music. It is one of the diatonicscales. Like many...
the tonic of a major or minor key, and each of these keys will have a diatonicscale associated with it. The circle diagram shows the number of sharps or...
piano. Most music uses subsets of the chromatic scale such as diatonicscales. While the chromatic scale is fundamental in western music theory, it is seldom...
A heptatonic scale is a musical scale that has seven pitches, or tones, per octave. Examples include: the diatonicscale; e.g., in C major: C D E F G...
(spanning six semitones in the chromatic scale), regardless of scale degrees. According to this definition, a diatonicscale contains two tritones for each octave...
more rows of buttons, with each row producing the notes of a single diatonicscale. The buttons on the bass-side keyboard are most commonly arranged in...
set of octave species or scales; the medieval Phrygian mode, and the modern conception of the Phrygian mode as a diatonicscale, based on the latter. The...
pentatonic scale: C, D, E, G, A. Another construction works backward: It omits two pitches from a diatonicscale. If one were to begin with a C major scale, for...
scale. It can also be derived from the diatonic Dorian mode with a major seventh. Thus, the jazz minor scale can be represented by the following notation:...
on a particular octave species or scale; one of the medieval church modes; or a modern musical mode or diatonicscale, related to the medieval mode. (The...
(C) in C major). It is also called the diatonic semitone because it occurs between steps in the diatonicscale. The minor second is abbreviated m2 (or...
Ptolemy described a 5-limit diatonicscale in his influential text on music theory Harmonics, which he called "intense diatonic". Given ratios of string...
blues scale is solmized as "la-do-re-me-mi-sol". One heptatonic, or seven-note, conception of the blues scale is as a diatonicscale (a major scale) with...
interspersing the primary diatonic pitches and chords with other pitches of the chromatic scale. In simple terms, within each octave, diatonic music uses only seven...
harmonic major scale is a sound intermediate between harmonic minor and diatonic major, and partaking of both. The harmonic major scale may be used in...
the seventh mode of the major scale. It is either a musical mode or simply a diatonicscale. On the piano, it is the scale that starts with B and only uses...
behaviour, or the scale structure associated with it); one of the medieval musical modes; or—most commonly—one of the modern modal diatonicscales, corresponding...
mode) is a diatonicscale that is built by starting on the sixth degree of its relative major scale. For instance, the A natural minor scale can be built...
in modern usage, a diatonicscale also called the natural minor scale. On the piano, using only the white keys, it is the scale that starts with A and...
any note of a musical scale. Therefore, a seven-note diatonicscale allows seven basic diatonic triads, each degree of the scale becoming the root of its...
class 8‑28. With one more scale tone than present in the western diatonicscale, it is not possible to notate music in the octatonic scale in any conventional...
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