Diatonic
Pertaining to the seven notes of a major or natural minor scale without chromatic alteration.
Category
keys
Origin
Greek
Length
186 words · 1 min read
About Diatonic
Diatonic refers to the collection of seven pitches that form a major or natural minor scale — the notes that "belong" to the prevailing key. A diatonic melody or chord progression uses only these seven notes, without introducing sharps, flats, or naturals from outside the key.
More keys terms
Leading note
View all keysterms →The seventh degree of a major or harmonic minor scale, a semitone below the tonic.
TranspositionMoving a passage of music up or down in pitch by a fixed interval
ChromaticPertaining to notes outside the prevailing key or diatonic scale.
ModeA type of scale defined by a specific pattern of tones and semitones, historically derived from medieval church music.
Relative Major and MinorA pair of keys — one major, one minor — sharing the same key signature
Synonyms
Antonyms
See Also
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