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Can a song be in the chromatic scale?
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I noticed that Entry of the Gladiators is said to be in C major scale (edit: F major) but I was wondering if it could be in the chromatic scale since it uses all the notes. And if not, are there examples of songs that are considered to be in the chromatic scale?
scales terminology key
edited 7 mins ago
Dom♦
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asked 18 hours ago
foreyez
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up vote
8
down vote
favorite
I noticed that Entry of the Gladiators is said to be in C major scale (edit: F major) but I was wondering if it could be in the chromatic scale since it uses all the notes. And if not, are there examples of songs that are considered to be in the chromatic scale?
scales terminology key
edited 7 mins ago
Dom♦
34.5k1797212
asked 18 hours ago
foreyez
3,57222058
3
If there was a 'chromatic key' - and there isn't - wonder what the key sig. might be...Key and scale are not synonymous. Scale is simply an ordered list of notes.
– Tim
6 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
8
down vote
favorite
up vote
8
down vote
favorite
I noticed that Entry of the Gladiators is said to be in C major scale (edit: F major) but I was wondering if it could be in the chromatic scale since it uses all the notes. And if not, are there examples of songs that are considered to be in the chromatic scale?
scales terminology key
edited 7 mins ago
Dom♦
34.5k1797212
asked 18 hours ago
foreyez
3,57222058
I noticed that Entry of the Gladiators is said to be in C major scale (edit: F major) but I was wondering if it could be in the chromatic scale since it uses all the notes. And if not, are there examples of songs that are considered to be in the chromatic scale?
scales terminology key
scales terminology key
edited 7 mins ago
Dom♦
34.5k1797212
asked 18 hours ago
foreyez
3,57222058
edited 7 mins ago
Dom♦
34.5k1797212
asked 18 hours ago
foreyez
3,57222058
edited 7 mins ago
Dom♦
34.5k1797212
edited 7 mins ago
Dom♦
34.5k1797212
edited 7 mins ago
Dom♦
34.5k1797212
34.5k1797212
asked 18 hours ago
foreyez
3,57222058
asked 18 hours ago
foreyez
3,57222058
asked 18 hours ago
foreyez
3,57222058
3,57222058
3
If there was a 'chromatic key' - and there isn't - wonder what the key sig. might be...Key and scale are not synonymous. Scale is simply an ordered list of notes.
– Tim
6 hours ago
add a comment |Â
3
If there was a 'chromatic key' - and there isn't - wonder what the key sig. might be...Key and scale are not synonymous. Scale is simply an ordered list of notes.
– Tim
6 hours ago
3
3
If there was a 'chromatic key' - and there isn't - wonder what the key sig. might be...Key and scale are not synonymous. Scale is simply an ordered list of notes.
– Tim
6 hours ago
If there was a 'chromatic key' - and there isn't - wonder what the key sig. might be...Key and scale are not synonymous. Scale is simply an ordered list of notes.
– Tim
6 hours ago
add a comment |Â
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
up vote
18
down vote
Colloquially, we don't say pieces are "in the chromatic scale," no. We can say that a piece is in C major, or even just in C (not specifying major or minor), but not that something is in the chromatic scale.
One reason this might be so is due to the inherent hierarchy of tonality. If a piece is in C (like your example), arguably the two most important pitches will be C and G. A♯, however, will be comparatively low on that hierarchy. Therefore, saying a piece is in the key of "chromatic" or even "C chromatic" starts to muddy up the hierarchy that gave the piece sense of tonic in the first place. In contrast, saying a piece is "in C" gives us an immediate sense of that tonal hierarchy.
Around approximately 1920, composers such as Arnold Schoenberg viewed the increasing chromaticism of the earlier century (by composers like Wagner, Bruckner, and Mahler) as moving inexorably towards complete chromaticism. This is ultimately what spurred the notion of atonal music, which is music without a tonic. One branch of atonal music is serial music, wherein a piece is constructed using a pre-determined matrix of pitches. (This is a very basic definition, but it works for this answer.)
I say this because, in music without a tonic, we could in theory speak of it as being "in the chromatic scale" since there is no hierarchy of pitches. (Schoenberg famously spoke of the "democracy of tones" in this music.) But still it boils down to the fact that we just don't say something is "in the chromatic scale"; we'd just say it's atonal (or non-tonal) instead.
answered 18 hours ago
Richard
31.5k667134
Another composer to check out is Charles Ives. He wrote many songs. While the songs are (mostly) not 12 tone music like Schoenberg, they can be very unusual form a tonal perspective.
– Michael Curtis
17 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
"Entry of the Gladiators" is in F in the partitura I have (the instruments in B look like it's in G, of course).
At any rate, it is totally not a piece in "the chromatic scale" since its harmonies are very straightforward progressions for the F major scale. The melody line may look largely chromatic but it is organized in a manner where the beats get in-harmony notes for the straightforward F major progression. If you look closely, you'll find that the chromatic lines constituting the melody line have very well-planned inflection points and sometimes have whole notes there in order to reach target on time.
This continues in the second part (where the bassoons carry the melody): here the first phrase in the bassoon is chromatic but its conclusion, which needs to cover a wider range, is diatonic.
The movements after that are more majestic, meaning that while there still is some chromaticity in the lead, notes are more or less all on-beat which requires harmonies to follow along more. But it's nevertheless mostly straightforward diatonic focus on the harmonies, starting with the Trio in B♠major.
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
The Flight of The Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov.
answered 4 hours ago
PreservedFruit
258111
most say it's in A minor
– foreyez
28 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
I would say that a piece in chromatic scale, in some circumstances, would be one without a tone, I mean, atonal. Scriabin, for example, wrote some atonal pieces, like his 8th sonata.
The lack of a key signature here does not mean that is in C or in Am.
answered 8 mins ago
João Paulo
2006
add a comment |Â
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
18
down vote
Colloquially, we don't say pieces are "in the chromatic scale," no. We can say that a piece is in C major, or even just in C (not specifying major or minor), but not that something is in the chromatic scale.
One reason this might be so is due to the inherent hierarchy of tonality. If a piece is in C (like your example), arguably the two most important pitches will be C and G. A♯, however, will be comparatively low on that hierarchy. Therefore, saying a piece is in the key of "chromatic" or even "C chromatic" starts to muddy up the hierarchy that gave the piece sense of tonic in the first place. In contrast, saying a piece is "in C" gives us an immediate sense of that tonal hierarchy.
Around approximately 1920, composers such as Arnold Schoenberg viewed the increasing chromaticism of the earlier century (by composers like Wagner, Bruckner, and Mahler) as moving inexorably towards complete chromaticism. This is ultimately what spurred the notion of atonal music, which is music without a tonic. One branch of atonal music is serial music, wherein a piece is constructed using a pre-determined matrix of pitches. (This is a very basic definition, but it works for this answer.)
I say this because, in music without a tonic, we could in theory speak of it as being "in the chromatic scale" since there is no hierarchy of pitches. (Schoenberg famously spoke of the "democracy of tones" in this music.) But still it boils down to the fact that we just don't say something is "in the chromatic scale"; we'd just say it's atonal (or non-tonal) instead.
answered 18 hours ago
Richard
31.5k667134
Another composer to check out is Charles Ives. He wrote many songs. While the songs are (mostly) not 12 tone music like Schoenberg, they can be very unusual form a tonal perspective.
– Michael Curtis
17 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
18
down vote
Colloquially, we don't say pieces are "in the chromatic scale," no. We can say that a piece is in C major, or even just in C (not specifying major or minor), but not that something is in the chromatic scale.
One reason this might be so is due to the inherent hierarchy of tonality. If a piece is in C (like your example), arguably the two most important pitches will be C and G. A♯, however, will be comparatively low on that hierarchy. Therefore, saying a piece is in the key of "chromatic" or even "C chromatic" starts to muddy up the hierarchy that gave the piece sense of tonic in the first place. In contrast, saying a piece is "in C" gives us an immediate sense of that tonal hierarchy.
Around approximately 1920, composers such as Arnold Schoenberg viewed the increasing chromaticism of the earlier century (by composers like Wagner, Bruckner, and Mahler) as moving inexorably towards complete chromaticism. This is ultimately what spurred the notion of atonal music, which is music without a tonic. One branch of atonal music is serial music, wherein a piece is constructed using a pre-determined matrix of pitches. (This is a very basic definition, but it works for this answer.)
I say this because, in music without a tonic, we could in theory speak of it as being "in the chromatic scale" since there is no hierarchy of pitches. (Schoenberg famously spoke of the "democracy of tones" in this music.) But still it boils down to the fact that we just don't say something is "in the chromatic scale"; we'd just say it's atonal (or non-tonal) instead.
answered 18 hours ago
Richard
31.5k667134
Another composer to check out is Charles Ives. He wrote many songs. While the songs are (mostly) not 12 tone music like Schoenberg, they can be very unusual form a tonal perspective.
– Michael Curtis
17 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
18
down vote
up vote
18
down vote
Colloquially, we don't say pieces are "in the chromatic scale," no. We can say that a piece is in C major, or even just in C (not specifying major or minor), but not that something is in the chromatic scale.
One reason this might be so is due to the inherent hierarchy of tonality. If a piece is in C (like your example), arguably the two most important pitches will be C and G. A♯, however, will be comparatively low on that hierarchy. Therefore, saying a piece is in the key of "chromatic" or even "C chromatic" starts to muddy up the hierarchy that gave the piece sense of tonic in the first place. In contrast, saying a piece is "in C" gives us an immediate sense of that tonal hierarchy.
Around approximately 1920, composers such as Arnold Schoenberg viewed the increasing chromaticism of the earlier century (by composers like Wagner, Bruckner, and Mahler) as moving inexorably towards complete chromaticism. This is ultimately what spurred the notion of atonal music, which is music without a tonic. One branch of atonal music is serial music, wherein a piece is constructed using a pre-determined matrix of pitches. (This is a very basic definition, but it works for this answer.)
I say this because, in music without a tonic, we could in theory speak of it as being "in the chromatic scale" since there is no hierarchy of pitches. (Schoenberg famously spoke of the "democracy of tones" in this music.) But still it boils down to the fact that we just don't say something is "in the chromatic scale"; we'd just say it's atonal (or non-tonal) instead.
answered 18 hours ago
Richard
31.5k667134
Colloquially, we don't say pieces are "in the chromatic scale," no. We can say that a piece is in C major, or even just in C (not specifying major or minor), but not that something is in the chromatic scale.
One reason this might be so is due to the inherent hierarchy of tonality. If a piece is in C (like your example), arguably the two most important pitches will be C and G. A♯, however, will be comparatively low on that hierarchy. Therefore, saying a piece is in the key of "chromatic" or even "C chromatic" starts to muddy up the hierarchy that gave the piece sense of tonic in the first place. In contrast, saying a piece is "in C" gives us an immediate sense of that tonal hierarchy.
Around approximately 1920, composers such as Arnold Schoenberg viewed the increasing chromaticism of the earlier century (by composers like Wagner, Bruckner, and Mahler) as moving inexorably towards complete chromaticism. This is ultimately what spurred the notion of atonal music, which is music without a tonic. One branch of atonal music is serial music, wherein a piece is constructed using a pre-determined matrix of pitches. (This is a very basic definition, but it works for this answer.)
I say this because, in music without a tonic, we could in theory speak of it as being "in the chromatic scale" since there is no hierarchy of pitches. (Schoenberg famously spoke of the "democracy of tones" in this music.) But still it boils down to the fact that we just don't say something is "in the chromatic scale"; we'd just say it's atonal (or non-tonal) instead.
answered 18 hours ago
Richard
31.5k667134
edited 14 hours ago
answered 18 hours ago
Richard
31.5k667134
answered 18 hours ago
Richard
31.5k667134
answered 18 hours ago
Richard
31.5k667134
31.5k667134
Another composer to check out is Charles Ives. He wrote many songs. While the songs are (mostly) not 12 tone music like Schoenberg, they can be very unusual form a tonal perspective.
– Michael Curtis
17 hours ago
add a comment |Â
Another composer to check out is Charles Ives. He wrote many songs. While the songs are (mostly) not 12 tone music like Schoenberg, they can be very unusual form a tonal perspective.
– Michael Curtis
17 hours ago
Another composer to check out is Charles Ives. He wrote many songs. While the songs are (mostly) not 12 tone music like Schoenberg, they can be very unusual form a tonal perspective.
– Michael Curtis
17 hours ago
Another composer to check out is Charles Ives. He wrote many songs. While the songs are (mostly) not 12 tone music like Schoenberg, they can be very unusual form a tonal perspective.
– Michael Curtis
17 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
"Entry of the Gladiators" is in F in the partitura I have (the instruments in B look like it's in G, of course).
At any rate, it is totally not a piece in "the chromatic scale" since its harmonies are very straightforward progressions for the F major scale. The melody line may look largely chromatic but it is organized in a manner where the beats get in-harmony notes for the straightforward F major progression. If you look closely, you'll find that the chromatic lines constituting the melody line have very well-planned inflection points and sometimes have whole notes there in order to reach target on time.
This continues in the second part (where the bassoons carry the melody): here the first phrase in the bassoon is chromatic but its conclusion, which needs to cover a wider range, is diatonic.
The movements after that are more majestic, meaning that while there still is some chromaticity in the lead, notes are more or less all on-beat which requires harmonies to follow along more. But it's nevertheless mostly straightforward diatonic focus on the harmonies, starting with the Trio in B♠major.
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
"Entry of the Gladiators" is in F in the partitura I have (the instruments in B look like it's in G, of course).
At any rate, it is totally not a piece in "the chromatic scale" since its harmonies are very straightforward progressions for the F major scale. The melody line may look largely chromatic but it is organized in a manner where the beats get in-harmony notes for the straightforward F major progression. If you look closely, you'll find that the chromatic lines constituting the melody line have very well-planned inflection points and sometimes have whole notes there in order to reach target on time.
This continues in the second part (where the bassoons carry the melody): here the first phrase in the bassoon is chromatic but its conclusion, which needs to cover a wider range, is diatonic.
The movements after that are more majestic, meaning that while there still is some chromaticity in the lead, notes are more or less all on-beat which requires harmonies to follow along more. But it's nevertheless mostly straightforward diatonic focus on the harmonies, starting with the Trio in B♠major.
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
"Entry of the Gladiators" is in F in the partitura I have (the instruments in B look like it's in G, of course).
At any rate, it is totally not a piece in "the chromatic scale" since its harmonies are very straightforward progressions for the F major scale. The melody line may look largely chromatic but it is organized in a manner where the beats get in-harmony notes for the straightforward F major progression. If you look closely, you'll find that the chromatic lines constituting the melody line have very well-planned inflection points and sometimes have whole notes there in order to reach target on time.
This continues in the second part (where the bassoons carry the melody): here the first phrase in the bassoon is chromatic but its conclusion, which needs to cover a wider range, is diatonic.
The movements after that are more majestic, meaning that while there still is some chromaticity in the lead, notes are more or less all on-beat which requires harmonies to follow along more. But it's nevertheless mostly straightforward diatonic focus on the harmonies, starting with the Trio in B♠major.
"Entry of the Gladiators" is in F in the partitura I have (the instruments in B look like it's in G, of course).
At any rate, it is totally not a piece in "the chromatic scale" since its harmonies are very straightforward progressions for the F major scale. The melody line may look largely chromatic but it is organized in a manner where the beats get in-harmony notes for the straightforward F major progression. If you look closely, you'll find that the chromatic lines constituting the melody line have very well-planned inflection points and sometimes have whole notes there in order to reach target on time.
This continues in the second part (where the bassoons carry the melody): here the first phrase in the bassoon is chromatic but its conclusion, which needs to cover a wider range, is diatonic.
The movements after that are more majestic, meaning that while there still is some chromaticity in the lead, notes are more or less all on-beat which requires harmonies to follow along more. But it's nevertheless mostly straightforward diatonic focus on the harmonies, starting with the Trio in B♠major.
answered 14 hours ago
user52924
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
The Flight of The Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov.
answered 4 hours ago
PreservedFruit
258111
most say it's in A minor
– foreyez
28 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
The Flight of The Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov.
answered 4 hours ago
PreservedFruit
258111
most say it's in A minor
– foreyez
28 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
The Flight of The Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov.
answered 4 hours ago
PreservedFruit
258111
The Flight of The Bumblebee by Rimsky-Korsakov.
answered 4 hours ago
PreservedFruit
258111
answered 4 hours ago
PreservedFruit
258111
answered 4 hours ago
PreservedFruit
258111
answered 4 hours ago
PreservedFruit
258111
258111
most say it's in A minor
– foreyez
28 mins ago
add a comment |Â
most say it's in A minor
– foreyez
28 mins ago
most say it's in A minor
– foreyez
28 mins ago
most say it's in A minor
– foreyez
28 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
I would say that a piece in chromatic scale, in some circumstances, would be one without a tone, I mean, atonal. Scriabin, for example, wrote some atonal pieces, like his 8th sonata.
The lack of a key signature here does not mean that is in C or in Am.
answered 8 mins ago
João Paulo
2006
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
I would say that a piece in chromatic scale, in some circumstances, would be one without a tone, I mean, atonal. Scriabin, for example, wrote some atonal pieces, like his 8th sonata.
The lack of a key signature here does not mean that is in C or in Am.
answered 8 mins ago
João Paulo
2006
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
I would say that a piece in chromatic scale, in some circumstances, would be one without a tone, I mean, atonal. Scriabin, for example, wrote some atonal pieces, like his 8th sonata.
The lack of a key signature here does not mean that is in C or in Am.
answered 8 mins ago
João Paulo
2006
I would say that a piece in chromatic scale, in some circumstances, would be one without a tone, I mean, atonal. Scriabin, for example, wrote some atonal pieces, like his 8th sonata.
The lack of a key signature here does not mean that is in C or in Am.
answered 8 mins ago
João Paulo
2006
answered 8 mins ago
João Paulo
2006
answered 8 mins ago
João Paulo
2006
answered 8 mins ago
João Paulo
2006
2006
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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3
If there was a 'chromatic key' - and there isn't - wonder what the key sig. might be...Key and scale are not synonymous. Scale is simply an ordered list of notes.
– Tim
6 hours ago