4. Chromatic Scales

Chromatic scales are new at grade four. The word "chromatic" actually means "colourful" - the scales are very colourful since they use ALL 12 different notes available instead of just 7 of them!

The scales you have studied up till now - major and minor - are in a group called "diatonic" scales. Diatonic scales all contain 7 notes and are firmly based on a key - and the keynote, or the first note of the scale, is the TONIC.

Chromatic scales are not in any particular key. We can't talk about the "chromatic scale in the key of C", for example. Chromatic scales don't have a tonic, and we don't use any of the other technical names to describe the notes (like "dominant" or "mediant") in them either. Instead, we identify chromatic scales by the note which they start on. We can talk about a chromatic scale starting on C, for example.

To play a chromatic scale, simply start on the note of your choice, and then play ALL the semitones until you reach the starting note again. If we start on D, we play these notes:

As you can see, the scale contains 12 different notes. We wrote 13 notes in total, but the first and last note (D) are the same note name.

How to Write Out Chromatic Scales

There are two ways to write out chromatic scales. Here are the two methods using a chromatic scale starting on C:

1) The Tonic / Dominant Method

We write down ONE note head for the starting and finishing note, and ONE note head for the dominant (5th scale degree) of the key based on the starting note:

Then we write down TWO note heads for all the notes in between the tonic and dominant:

Then we add sharp, flat and natural signs to the notes (except of course the tonic and dominant) to complete the scale:

This method is useful because it keeps the two most important notes (the tonic and dominant) clean and free of accidentals. The scales use the same notes, whether they are ascending or descending. This method is often used when a stand-alone chromatic scale is written, rather than when it is in a piece of music.

2) The Sharps Up / Flats Down Method

In an ascending scale, we use only SHARPS and no flats. We can also use natural notes of course, but they won't need accidentals:

In a descending scale, we use only FLATS and no sharps. Again, we don't need any naturals as accidentals:

This method is useful because it results in a cleaner page, with fewer accidentals. The brain of the player has fewer symbols to deal with, which makes his/her job easier. This method is often used when a chromatic scale occurs in a piece of music.

In your theory exam, you can write out a chromatic scale using either method.

You might also be asked to pick out a part of a chromatic scale within a musical score. In that case, it could be written out either way.

Finding Part of a Chromatic Scale in a Musical Score

If you are asked to find a few notes which are part of a chromatic scale, first you need to scan the piece quickly, looking for sections where a few notes are written together which

a) move in step and

b) have got some accidentals attached to them.

Then you need to look closely at those notes, and decide whether they are all ONE semitone apart or not. If some of the notes are a tone (or more) apart, you haven't found the right bit yet, so keep looking!