Diatonic scale question?

Originally Posted by: equatorAnd it is not necessarily chromatic because the note before that is sometimes a fifth lower.

Chromatics don't actually have to move by half step.

Originally Posted by: Cryptic Excretions Furthermore, how can Fur Elise be in A Minor if the starting note is E? Anyway, that would still be chromatic.

I stand corrected on this bit of information. It's wrong.

Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonChromatics don't actually have to move by half step.

By definition chromatic is when a note is separated from its upper and lower neighbors by a half-step. And if you move chromatically, then you do move by half steps to another note that is a semitone lower or higher; otherwise you would be moving in intervals or scalar wise

Originally Posted by: equatorBy definition chromatic is when a note is separated from its upper and lower neighbors by a half-step. And if you move chromatically, then you do move by half steps to another note that is a semitone lower or higher; otherwise you would be moving in intervals or scalar wise

chromatic

adj
2: based on a scale consisting of 12 semitones; "a chromatic scale"

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=chromatic

It doesn't say anything about needing to be in half-step incriments to be chromatic.

I had to do some research, I knew such strong opinions had to have a basis in fact.
Chromatic is the use of notes foreign to the diatonic scale.

Accidental is a note foreign to a key by signature

Accidentals in the western system of scales within which all notes are assumed to be natural unless accidentals precede them ( accidentals meaning Flats, or Sharps ).

Dont bitch at me if theirs disagreement because these defs. came out of Britannica.
Thanks to everyone for helping me grasp these things.
Sorry to those I may have offended in the process.
But thats just me.

Originally Posted by: Cryptic Excretionschromatic

adj
2: based on a scale consisting of 12 semitones; "a chromatic scale"

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=chromatic

It doesn't say anything about needing to be in half-step incriments to be chromatic.

Well, you should try a music dictionary instead:

http://library.thinkquest.org/2791/MDCTARY/A-C.htm
http://www.wqxr.com/cgi-bin/iowa/cla/learning/grove.html?record=1876
http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/glossary/c.html
http://www.bsokids.com/kids/sound_off/music_dictionary.asp
http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/

Originally Posted by: equatorWell, you should try a music dictionary instead:

http://library.thinkquest.org/2791/MDCTARY/A-C.htm
http://www.wqxr.com/cgi-bin/iowa/cla/learning/grove.html?record=1876
http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/glossary/c.html
http://www.bsokids.com/kids/sound_off/music_dictionary.asp
http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/

From one of your links:

chromatic Melody or harmony built from many if not all twelve semitones of the octave. A chromatic scale consists of an ascending or descending sequence of semitones.

The scale may consist of ascending or descending semitones, but chromatics in a song do not necessarily have to ascend or descend in semitones.

Right. A chromatic melody or harmony can be built from many if not all twelve semitones of the octave. But it has to comply to the rule of chromatics having another note a semitone higher or lower.
For example:
G-G#-A …is chromatic, and you do not need to use all the twelve pitches.
G-A… is not chromatic, because it does not comply with the rule of chromatics, since the notes are not a semitone apart.

OK would these be considered chromatic runs? For the sake of argument.

------------------
------------------
---5--6--7--------
------------------
-0--0--0----------
------------------

or even like I pull off in Feeble Jazz

--7-8-6-7-5-6-4-5-3-----------<--triplets

Writing things chromatically is much different from composing with the chromatic scale. Most chromatic exercises are going to be in half step movements, but if you take the chromatic scale and write something with it, regardless of the types of steps you use, you're still being chromatic. For example, let's take a Slipknot "solo." They don't always move in half steps, but they aren't in any particular key. It's all chromatic. If you took a given Major scale, you wouldn't be obligated to constantly make whole step, whole step, half step, etc. movements for everything. It's the way it's used that makes it what it is. As I've learned in this debate, just because you don't start on A doesn't mean you can't still be playing in A Minor. So, just because it's not a half step doesn't mean it can't be chromatic.

Originally Posted by: axemaster911Is the diatonic scale with five whole tones, and two half tones that has the pattern ( Aeolian ) ws-hs-ws-ws-hs-ws-ws, or ( locrian ) hs-ws-ws-hs-ws-ws-ws, or all its other variations which follow the same pattern only starting on a diffrent degree, is this the normal standard for playing in key? Not regarding the root note, the pattern is more my question?
And do scales such as ( phrygian-dominant ) with its raised third, or any of the many other scales with changes to the basic diatonic pattern considered to be scales with with accidentals in whatever key their played in.
I am trying to get a better understanding of being able to play along with other musicans, and all staying in the same key while exotic scales are being used, and the normal standard for keys in general.

The "Diatonic" is a scale consisiting of seven notes. Althought, as an engineer, I can tell you it should only have 2 (Geek Dias).

Therefore if you will in accept it, the the Diantonic is not only a 7 intervalic scale, it is also the only creadence for modality.

You are confusing scales and modality. A very common mistake. And if you are just getting into modes, harmanization will become you first love. (musically)

Listent to "Thin Lizzy" - "The boys are back" listnen to the huge guitar sound. A simple two note peddle tone and an total of *9* notes played in partial "heptationic" Lydian mode. Sounds HUGE! a total of 11 notes in all!

Get your modes down K? If you are good at math, I can poop you all of the stuff that makes it work. And believe it or not, you can collapse a mountain with it!

Dumb Greeks...

The word Dia-tonic really comes from a couple explanations, but Dia doesn't mean a two note scale like Penta means 5 and octa mean 8.

One explanation is, it's a scale that consists of all whole steps, except for TWO half steps. This is consistant for all the modes of the Diatonic scale.

The other explanation is: It is a scale with TWO Roots. The 1 equaling the Root of the Major scale, and the 6 equaling the Root of the Natural Minor scale.

Just some tid bits :)