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diatonic

   Also found in: Wikipedia 0.04 sec.
di·a·ton·ic  (d-tnk)
adj. Music
Of or using only the seven tones of a standard scale without chromatic alterations.

[Late Latin diatonicus, from Greek diatonikos : dia-, dia- + tonos, tone; see tone.]

dia·toni·cal·ly adv.
dia·toni·cism (--szm) n.

diatonic
Adjective
of or relating to any scale of five tones and two semitones produced by playing the white keys of a keyboard instrument [Greek diatonos extending]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.diatonic - based on the standard major or minor scales consisting of 5 tones and 2 semitones without modulation by accidentals
music - an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
chromatic - based on a scale consisting of 12 semitones; "a chromatic scale"
2.diatonic - based on or using the five tones and two semitones of the major or minor scales of western music
tonal - having tonality; i.e. tones and chords organized in relation to one tone such as a keynote or tonic

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? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
The rhythmic complexity of African drumming, for instance, had been dramatically reduced, while accordingly, the European diatonic scales and Western harmonics were reduced to accommodate better the largely pentatonic structure of African melody; see Schuller 6-26, 38-54.
The pianist progresses through triad and inversion exercises built on diatonic triads in each key, learning about triad construction from the major scale.
1) Instead of using the traditional diatonic order of whole steps and half steps (the source of the ancient Greek and medieval modes, and of the modern major scale), the serial composer takes as his governing principle a row or series comprising all twelve chromatic tones within the octave.
 
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