Diatonic Chromatic

Kaii had combined several piano/keyboard method books and her life long music learning books to create this sequential music theory study for this website. This page is about the understanding of Diatonic and Chromatic Half Steps. By clicking on the other colored links at the bottom of this page, the other music theory topics can be found easily.

For more information, please contact Kaii directly: info@kafm.net

Diatonic | Chromatic

In written form of music, a Half Step can be identified as Diatonic or Chromatic. All Diatonic Half Steps are based on the Major Scales and any forms of the Minor Scales. The Diatonic Half Steps occur naturally in a scale and are formed with two notes with different Letter Names. For example, the half steps between "E and F" and "B and C" happen naturally in many scales. See them on the following keyboard.

The "Diatonic Half Steps" can be found in written music with two notes that have different Letter Names. See the sample in G Major bellow, "B to C" and "F-Sharp to G." They happen to be the half steps at degrees "3 to 4" and "7 to 8" in any major scales.

The Diatonic Half Steps

All Chromatic Half Steps are the ones that do not occur in any scale naturally. The Chromatic Half Steps are formed with two notes with the same Letter Names. Using the following keyboard, one can see many examples of the Chromatic Half Steps: "C to C-Sharp", "E-Flat to E", "G to G-Sharp", and so on.

The "Chromatic Half Steps" can be found in written music with two notes that have the same Letter Name. See the samples bellow.

The Chromatic Half Steps

A composer would know the differences between a Chromatic and a Diatonic Half Step clearly. In a music notation system, the letter names of the notes mean the world of differences.

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The next topic in this Music Theory site is all about the "Triads and Inversions." You may want to review the previous pages. Thank you for reading!

Music Theory that every musician could use and should know

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Math in Music

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Time Signatures Intervals Modulations Homophonic Style

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Diatonic & Chromatic Steps Transposition Contrapuntal Techniques

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Primary Triads Augmented Sixth Chords Ternary Form

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Secondary Dominant Musical Signs Sonata Form

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Figured Bass & Basso Continuo Serialism

For more information, please contact Ms. Lee at: info@kafm.net

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