"Whole Tone Scale" is a type of hexatonic scale, meaning it uses only six notes within an octave.
The Whole Tone Scale is constructed entirely of whole steps, which means there are no half steps between any of its adjacent notes. This unique structure results in a symmetrical pattern, where each note is equidistant from the next within the scale. It is often used to create an ethereal, dreamlike, and ambiguous quality in music. It was widely used in French impressionism.
In Western music, the Whole Tone Scale is commonly associated with augmented chords and other harmonies that lack a clear tonal center. Due to its lack of half steps, the scale avoids creating a strong sense of tension and resolution, giving it a somewhat ambiguous quality that can be used to evoke a sense of mystery or uncertainty.
The Whole Tone Scale gained popularity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in Impressionist and early Modernist music. Composers like Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky employed this scale to create unique tonal colors and evoke atmospheric effects in their compositions.
Because of its symmetrical structure, the Whole Tone Scale offers fewer possibilities for traditional tonal harmonies, making it particularly suitable for creating a sense of otherworldliness or abstraction in music. It's often used for creating special effects, transitional passages, or creating a surreal atmosphere.
Tonality | Solfège |
Major | Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do |
Harmonic Minor | La Ti Do Re Mi Fa Si(#) La |
Melodic Minor (A) | La Ti Do Re Mi Fi(#) Si(#) La |
Melodic Minor (D) | La So Fa Mi Re Do Ti La |
Natural Minor | La Ti Do Re Mi Fa So La |
Pentatonic | Do Re Mi So La |
Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer, the predominant musical figure during the transition between the Classical to Romantic eras. He occupies an unprecedented dominance in the history of Western music history, and has been widely regarded as the greatest, most influential and most popular musician who ever lived.
Beethoven's music inherited the artistic atmosphere of Haydn and Mozart, penetrated the desire for dignity, vented the anger tortured by fate, and demonstrated his determination to fight with fate.
Compared to other musicians, Beethoven is effectively to interact the philosophy of life with audience through music. Although he was not a romantic, he had become the object followed by other romantics.
As a musician, Beethoven suffered from ear diseases. However, he was unwilling to succumb to fate, vowing to take fate by the throat, and continue to complete his career. In the last ten years of his life, without hearing any sound, his compositions influenced the development of music for nearly two hundred years.