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Music vocabulary · Music Theory and Harmony

Chromatic

Meaning in music, with examples

adjectiveCommon term

In music, chromatic means: Using notes outside the main diatonic scale, or moving through successive semitones, to add colour or tension to music.

In Turkish: kromatik

How it is used

Used for passing notes, melodic movement and scales. A chromatic scale includes all twelve pitch classes in an octave in standard equal temperament.

Example sentences

  1. The bass climbs in chromatic steps from C to E under the held chord.

    The line passes through every semitone between the starting and ending notes.

  2. That chromatic passing note adds tension before the melody returns to the scale.

    The brief outside note colours the phrase without necessarily changing its key.

Common collocations

  • chromatic scale
  • chromatic movement
  • chromatic passing note
  • scaleA set of notes played in order of pitch, going up or down, that follows a fixed pattern of steps. Scales are the building blocks of melodies and chords.
  • intervalThe distance in pitch between two notes, named by counting letter names and checking the number of semitones, such as a major third or a perfect fifth.
  • dissonanceA combination of notes that sounds tense or unstable and seems to need to move, or resolve, to a more restful sound. The opposite is consonance.

More terms: Music Theory and Harmony

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