| The Chromatic Scale -- All 12 Notes |
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What's the Chromatic Scale? Simply
put, it's all of the possible notes in Western music -- a total of 12 notes -- strung
together in order.
Why Is It Called the Chromatic Scale?
I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason, but I have no clue. Nor does it matter.
But here's what it looks like.
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A |
A# |
B |
C |
C# |
D |
D# |
E |
F |
F# |
G |
G# |
A |
(Sharps #) |
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A |
Bb |
B |
C |
Db |
D |
Eb |
E |
F |
Gb |
G |
Ab |
A |
(Flats b) |
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The Intervals
Between Notes Are the Same.
Each note is
a "half-step" higher in tone than the one before it, or put
oppositely, is a half-step lower than the one after it.
Makes sense, doesn't it. A half-step is a specific tonal
"distance," so it is the same raising or lowering of pitch from
one to the next note, regardless of the note's name. In
other words, the distance between C and C# is the same as the
distance between F# and G. Sorta like looking at a ruler,
where the distance between 4 and 5 inches and 11 and 12 inches is
1 each either way.
Two
Places in the Chromatic Scale Have No Sharps or Flats.
Why?
Doesn't matter, that's the way it is. The important fact is
that the intervals are the same -- one half-step.
So where are
these places? Look at the chart above, and you see it's
between B and C and between E and F.
The Sharps and Flats Are the Same
Notes. So A# and Bb are the same, and so on.
These are called "enharmonic notes," although I
only remember that occasionally, and it has no particular use in
daily life. In the following table, showing all of the chromatic scales, we show only
the sharps, but you can just as easily talk about the equivalent
or "enharmonic" flats.
The Chromatic Scale Can Start On Any Note. To get it
in your head, the above A to A sequence is probably easiest to use. That will be
called the "A Chromatic Scale." However, you can start on some other note,
like F#, in which case it's called the "F# Chromatic Scale." The
Scale Name Is Always The First Note.
Making a new chromatic scale out of any
note is really simple. As you can see below, every scale has the same notes in it.
They are always in the same order. The only difference is which note starts
and ends the particular scale.
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| A |
A# |
B |
C |
C# |
D |
D# |
E |
F |
F# |
G |
G# |
A |
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A# |
B |
C |
C# |
D |
D# |
E |
F |
F# |
G |
G# |
A |
A# |
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B |
C |
C# |
D |
D# |
E |
F |
F# |
G |
G# |
A |
A# |
B |
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C |
C# |
D |
D# |
E |
F |
F# |
G |
G# |
A |
A# |
B |
C |
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C# |
D |
D# |
E |
F |
F# |
G |
G# |
A |
A# |
B |
C |
C# |
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D |
D# |
E |
F |
F# |
G |
G# |
A |
A# |
B |
C |
C# |
D |
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D# |
E |
F |
F# |
G |
G# |
A |
A# |
B |
C |
C# |
D |
D# |
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E |
F |
F# |
G |
G# |
A |
A# |
B |
C |
C# |
D |
D# |
E |
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F |
F# |
G |
G# |
A |
A# |
B |
C |
C# |
D |
D# |
E |
F |
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F# |
G |
G# |
A |
A# |
B |
C |
C# |
D |
D# |
E |
F |
F# |
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G |
G# |
A |
A# |
B |
C |
C# |
D |
D# |
E |
F |
F# |
G |
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G# |
A |
A# |
B |
C |
C# |
D |
D# |
E |
F |
F# |
G |
G# |
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Why Does This Help Me Play Guitar?
Learn how this works. Though you'll rarely play the scale, knowing how it works will
help you later, when it's time to learn how to make any major scale, which is the primary
scale you'll have to learn. Besides, this is really easy.
Going Around in
Circles -- Chromatically offers another way to look at the chromatic scale.
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From Music Theory for the Short
Attention Span © FolkBlues.Com
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