AP® Music Theory · Unit 2 · Topic 2.4
Chromatic and Whole-Tone Scales
The chromatic scale moves entirely by half steps through all twelve pitches, while the whole-tone scale moves entirely by whole steps through only six. Each scale's evenness is exactly why it has no clear home note.
A key feels stable because its scale mixes half steps and whole steps unevenly, so certain notes pull hard toward the tonic. Chromatic and whole-tone scales both throw that out by making every step identical. The chromatic scale uses only half steps, all twelve of them, so every pitch is equally close to every neighbor and no single note stands out as home. The whole-tone scale uses only whole steps, so every pitch is equally far from its neighbors. In both cases the spacing is uniform, and uniform spacing means no leading tone, no strong pull, no destination.
Spelling the chromatic scale takes some care because every pitch keeps its letter name moving in one direction. Ascending from C you raise each letter with a sharp before moving to the next letter name: C, C sharp, D, D sharp, E, F, F sharp, G, G sharp, A, A sharp, B, C. Descending you lower each letter with a flat instead: C, B, B flat, A, A flat, G, G flat, F, E, E flat, D, D flat, C. Same twelve pitches, opposite spellings, because sharps read naturally as going up and flats read naturally as going down. The whole-tone scale has far less to memorize: starting on C gives C, D, E, F sharp, G sharp, A sharp, C, and starting anywhere outside that set of six gives the only other whole-tone scale, built on C sharp (or equivalently D flat). This topic closes out the scale-building work of the unit before melody and texture take over, giving a vocabulary for the hazy, floating sound composers reach for when they want to avoid a clear key.
Key terms
- Chromatic scale
- A twelve-note scale moving entirely by half steps, covering every pitch within an octave.
- Whole-tone scale
- A six-note scale moving entirely by whole steps, with only two distinct versions possible.
- Half step
- The smallest standard interval in Western music, the distance between adjacent keys on a keyboard.
- Leading tone
- A scale degree a half step below the tonic that pulls strongly toward resolving to it.
- Enharmonic spelling
- Writing the same pitch with different letter names and accidentals, such as C sharp and D flat.
Watch it explained
- How it worksHow does a scale built with no half steps erase any sense of a home note?
- How it worksWalk me through spelling a chromatic scale ascending and then descending with correct accidentals.
- Worked exampleFind the six notes of the whole-tone scale starting on C and the only other one that exists.
- Going furtherWhat happens to a familiar melody when you rewrite it inside a whole-tone scale?
Check yourself
End of topic.