chromatic scale

American  

noun

Music.

1. a scale progressing entirely by semitones.

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chromatic scale British  

noun

1. a twelve-note scale including all the semitones of the octave

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Etymology

Origin of chromatic scale

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chromatic scale

“Her technical skill alone is immense; in the completeness of her chromatic scale she is, probably, without a rival,” said an article published in Fraser’s Magazine, a London journal, in 1848.

From New York Times ● Jul. 16, 2021

It doesn’t take long for Mozart to use every note in the chromatic scale, and when he gets to the last one, a D-flat, he lets you know with great, unresolved emphasis.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2020

"Randy Wolfe did not create the descending chromatic scale," Anderson told jurors.

From Reuters ● Jun. 22, 2016

All 12 notes of the chromatic scale are heard, defying the traditional musical structure that would insist on a home key and a limited subset of harmonically related notes.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 3, 2013

He swallowed hard, drew a breath and made another attempt, producing this time a roll call on a rising chromatic scale.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan