Chromatic scale: construction

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The article is devoted to one of the musical-theoretical topics - the chromatic scale. From the material you will learn what the chromatic scale is, how to build it correctly in the modes of major and minor inclination. The following keys were chosen as a visual model for construction: C major, D major and A minor. You will also learn the most interesting statements of famous music theorists about the chromatic scale.

What is the chromatic gamma?

This is a scale that consists of solid halftones. It can be either ascending or descending. It is by no means a separate modal system, despite the fact that it was formed as a result of filling absolutely all plexuses from large seconds with chromatic semitones. That is, it was the seven-step scales of both the minor and major modes that served as the basis. In the ascending chromatic scale, accidentals that increase the sound are used: sharp, double-sharp, becar (with flats in the key). In descendingOn the chromatic scale, alteration signs lowering the sound are used: flat, double-flat, bekar (with sharps in the key). If you do not single out the fundamental principle of the lado-tonal with certain harmonic chords or do not emphasize the stable steps of the mode by metro-rhythmic means, then determining by ear the tonality and mode of the chromatic scale being performed is an absolutely impossible task. It is more realistic to reveal its modal inclination and tonality visually. Since strict rules are observed in its construction.

Chromatic scale spelling

When writing a chromatic scale, the following rules are taken into account:

• Notation is carried out taking into account the reference steps of the diatonic minor or major. These steps never change. That is, for the successful and correct construction of the scale, you need to write stable steps of the chosen tonality, without painting over them. For clarity, all chromatic sounds should be shaded.

• When a chromatic scale is built up, the construction is carried out as follows: absolutely all diatonic steps that are one (full) tone apart from the next ones will be raised by half a tone. The exception is the sixth step in the major mode and the first step in the minor one. They don't go up. But how then to get the chromatic scale? To do this, you need to lower the seventh step in the major by a semitone, and the second step in the minor.

• When the chromatic scale is built down, you should know that absolutely all diatonic steps that are one (one whole) tone. The exception is the fifth. As you may have guessed, it does not go down. Instead, the fourth step rises. An interesting moment is that the writing of the chromatic scale in the minor when moving down completely coincides with the notation of the major of the same name (of course, with all the necessary key accidentals).

Building a chromatic scale

To build a chromatic scale up and down in the major and minor modes correctly, you need to remember the following rules:

• When constructing a scale in the ascending movement of the major fret mood, the third and sixth steps must be left without chromatic changes.

• When constructing the major fret mood in the descending motion, the first and fifth steps must be left without chromatic changes. • When constructing a scale in the ascending and descending movement of the minor modal mood, the first and fifth steps should be kept without chromatic changes.

Building chromatic scales in major

C major in ascending motion: C (c), C sharp (cis), D (d), D sharp (dis), E (e), F (f), F sharp (fis), G (g), G sharp (gis), A (a), B flat (b), B becar (h), C (c).

In downward movement: C (c), B (h), B flat (b), A (a), A flat (as), G (g), F sharp (fis), F (f), E (e), E flat (es), D (d), D flat (des), C (c). Tonality with two signs - D major. Chromatic scale in ascending motion in this key: re (d), re sharp (dis), mi (e), mi sharp (eis), f sharp (fis), s alt (g),s alt sharp (gis), la (a), la sharp (ais), si (h), c (c), c sharp (cis), re (d).

In downward movement: re (d) - C sharp (cis) - C becar (c) - B (h) - B flat (b) - A (a) - G sharp (gis) - G (g) - F sharp (fis) - F becar (f) - E (e) - E flat (es) - D (d). According to this sample, following the basic rules, you can build any major scales.

Chromatic scale: minor. Construction

In an ascending movement in A minor: a, b, h, c, cis, d, dis, e, f, fis, g, gis, a. In downward movement: a, gis, g, fis, f, e, dis, d, cis, c, h, b, a. If you follow the basic rules, then absolutely all scales of the minor inclinations.

Statements of famous theorists about the chromatic scale

Academician B. M. Teplov rightly noted in his studies that the chromatic scale is much more difficult to intonate with the voice than the diatonic one. And indeed it is. Every musician will confirm this fact. The difficulty of its performance is explained by the fact that singing is realized thanks to a subtle sense of harmony. When the chromatic scale is vocally intoned, it is quite difficult to rely on the mode. Some believe that if you focus not on the fret, but on the interval flair, then it will not be difficult to sing such a scale cleanly. But this opinion is erroneous, since the support still falls on the fret, and not on the intervals.

Supports B. Teplov's opinion about the modal feelingas an important basis for singing the chromatic scale Yu. Tyulin. He believes that when the chromatic scale is intoned, the singer is guided not by the absolute value of m.2 (minor second) and b.2 (major second), but by the consonant diatonic intervals. So, for example, if you need to sing a chromatic scale from a note to up, then mi and s alt will be used as reference sounds. If you add these sounds: do-mi-s alt, then a tonic triad of tonality is formed. to major. The same sounds are stable in this key. Yu. Tyulin, when expressing such thoughts, was based not on a dry theory, but on experiments. As "material for research", he chose four vocal performers who confirmed the put forward opinion. Thus, the chromatic scale consists of twelve sounds (not including the repetition of the fundamental tone) and is not a separate modal system. It is built in all keys of major and minor mood. In order to learn how to build it, you need to know certain rules. The samples given in the article (tonality of C major, D major, A minor, E minor) will definitely help you in building various chromatic scales on your own.