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Here are two images for the sharp and flat chromatic scale notes on the fretboard from the open strings down to the 12th fret.

Both views are correct.Ĭhromatic Scale definition: The chromatic scale is the musical scale that has all 12 possible notes in it with each note separated by the distance of a half step, semitone or 1 fret on the guitar. You can say that there is only one chromatic scale or that there are 12 chromatic scales each starting on a different chromatic note.

You do not use the chromatic scale to build chords.

No one uses the chromatic scale to make music through the use of chromatic runs are common.

The chromatic scale does not have a root note or tonal center like other scales.

Finally, knowing the chromatic scale is absolutely essential if you play music.

The chromatic scale is a symmetrical scale – it’s always the same notes no matter how you play it.

12 notes or frets on guitar completes the chromatic scale, and the 13th note \ fret is the 1st note one octave higher.

Every successive fret on the guitar is a different note of the chromatic scale until you reached a note 12 frets above (or below) your starting note \ pitch.

All other scales are built from the notes in the chromatic scale.

Another term for a half-step is semi-tone.

Each note in a chromatic scale is a half-step (1 fret) apart from its neighboring tones.

You should write down the remaining enharmonic equivalents as practice.

Enharmonic equivalents are the sharp \ flat notes that have 2 names, e.g.

The notes of the chromatic scale are A, A# or B♭, B, C, C# or D♭, D, D# or E♭, E, F, F# or G♭, G, G# or A♭.

There is a sharp or flat note between every 2 notes (letters) except for B to C and E to F.

The remaining 5 notes use one of those 7 letters and adds the sharp (#) or flat (♭) symbol.

Seven of the 12 notes are named using the first 7 letters of the alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F & G.

It includes every note from the starting pitch up to the octave.

The chromatic scale can start on any of the 12 notes.Note: I had to use a lower case “b” for the flat symbol. This wheel is a good way to envision the chromatic scale. Below is an image of the chromatic scale in a 12-part circle. Let’s look at a bulleted list to get a better definition of the chromatic scale, its notes and what it is and is not. Or stated another way, when you divide an octave into twelve equal parts, the result is the 12 notes of the chromatic scale.Ī lot of sites just put the definition of the chromatic scale in paragraph form. The chromatic scale has all 12 possible pitches, or notes, within an octave that are used to make music. So there another 11 notes in between E & E’ or any octave. In this case, E would be 1 of the 12 chromatic notes that are between E and E’ at the 12 fret. Think of an open E note and then a second E (notated E’) at the 12th fret. That could also be half the frequency if the second note is an octave lower in pitch. What is an octave?Īn octave is the distance between two notes where the second note, or pitch, is double the frequency of the first note. The higher the frequency, the higher the perceived pitch of the sound. In music, it refers to the oscillations of the sound wave.

For example, if your heart beats 60 times per minute, then the frequency is 60 bpm. What is frequency?įrequency is a physics measurement of various repeating cycles. Barry White, on the other hand, sings at a much lower pitch. Think of a female opera singer who can sing a note at a very high pitch and break a wine glass. Pitch is how low or high a musical sound is. I define the chromatic scale in detail and I have charts and scale shapes that will help you learn the scale on the guitar.Ĭhromatic scale notes & definition: What is a chromatic scale?īefore we define the chromatic scale and the notes in it, we need to define a few terms first: octave, frequency, and pitch. The chromatic scale is created by dividing the octave into 12 equal parts or notes and those 12 notes are the source for all other scales used to make music in Western music. If you are a guitar player, you must know all 12 chromatic scale notes at each fret along the entire neck and on all 6 strings. The most fundamental scale to learn is the chromatic scale.