diatonic scale
1
6.0
- noun
- /ˌdaɪəˈtɒnɪk skeɪl/
- Specialized
:
escala diatónica
- "The tones are quite harmonic," he said (they were pentatonic in nature: a five-tone scale that skips the fourth and the seventh degrees of the diatonic scale).
Examples
-
Singing "hello" to older classes in the diatonic scale and requesting answers in the diatonic scale is a good way to continue the development of improvisation in the upper grades.
Academic text (2001) -
Singing "hello" to older classes in the diatonic scale and requesting answers in the diatonic scale is a good way to continue the development of improvisation in the upper grades.
Academic text (2001) -
Point out that there are only five tones of the diatonic scale used in the pentatonic modes.
Academic text (2007) -
While some methods limit the pitches used in beginning exercises, the Jaques-Dalcroze approach provides the option to introduce the entire diatonic scale at once.
Academic text (1994) -
The seven "pitches described in the text used the same intervals that make up our modern major scale (the diatonic scale) and could be played on a seven-string lyre.
Academic text (1997) -
Because the five chromatic tones were not yet in significant use in the Western world, Guido based his notation on consecutive octaves of diatonic scales, which was the approach used throughout Greek, Roman, and medieval times.
Academic text (1997) -
In the Dalcroze solfège class, the complete diatonic scale is used from the beginning, sung with fixed-do syllables.
Academic text (2011) -
Western music is based on the diatonic scale (do re mi fa so la ti), which consists of seven distinct pitches.
-
The diatonic scale contains seven notes arranged in a specific pattern of whole and half steps.
-
Musicians often use the diatonic scale as the foundation for constructing melodies and harmonies.
How Many
- Specialized
1
7.4
- Specialized
1
6.0
- Specialized
1
3.2
- Specialized
1
7.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'diatonic' explicitly means 'pertaining to seven-note musical scales', so when it modifies 'scale' the phrase literally denotes a scale of that type. This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase (adjective + noun) and, despite being technical, its meaning is directly derivable from the constituent words.
Etymology
Diatonic scale comes from Greek parts: dia meaning 'through' and tonic meaning 'tone'. One popular story says the name pictures walking through the seven main tones used in most Western songs, so today diatonic scale means the seven-note pattern that forms our major and minor scales.