whole tone
Major second interval
A whole tone is a musical interval equal to two semitones—the distance from C to D, or from F to G on a piano.
It's the standard step between most adjacent notes in a major scale.
A whole-tone scale uses only whole tones, creating a dreamy, unresolved sound associated with impressionist composers like Debussy.
Duration between two points
- pitchFrequency of sound
- stepFoot movement forward
- augmentedIncreased in size/value
- diminishedMade or became smaller
transposition · enharmonic · mode · degree · tetrachord · Lydian · melodic · spacing
French impressionist composer
- dreamlikeHazy and fantastical
- atmosphericOf the air above
- colorVisual hue property
- timbreSound's distinctive character
Ravel · La Mer · shimmering · hazy · evocative · orchestration · luminous · floating
Harmonious sound combination
- chordNotes sounded simultaneously
- voicingExpressing aloud
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
- tensionStretched or strained state
ambiguity · suspension · planing · modal · rootless
Equally far from each
- uniformIdentical throughout
- divisionSplitting into parts
- balanceSteadiness or amount owed
- regularityConsistent, predictable occurrence
pattern · geometric · cyclic · invariance · structure · equivalence · consistency · evenness
interval
Duration between two points
diminished · transposition · enharmonic · mode · degree · tetrachord · Lydian · melodic · spacing · division
Debussy
French impressionist composer
- dreamlikeHazy and fantastical
- atmosphericOf the air above
- colorVisual hue property
Ravel · timbre · La Mer · shimmering · hazy · evocative · orchestration · luminous · floating · ambiguity
consonance
Harmonious sound combination
- chordNotes sounded simultaneously
- voicingExpressing aloud
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
tension · ambiguity · suspension · planing · modal · rootless
equidistant
Equally far from each
regularity · pattern · geometric · cyclic · invariance · structure · equivalence · consistency · evenness · repetition