Which notes are chromatic?

Which notes are chromatic?

• A. Notes borrowed from outside the key.
• B. Notes strictly within the key.
• C. Notes that form perfect intervals.
• D. Notes that are only in major keys.

Answer: (A)

Chromatic notes are pitches that do not belong to the key’s diatonic scale. They’re the altered tones—sharps or flats—that a composer borrows from outside the key to add color, tension, or to approach a harmony more smoothly. For example, in C major, the diatonic notes are C D E F G A B; a note like C# (or Db) is chromatic because it isn’t part of that scale and might be used as a passing tone or borrowed from a related key to create a specific effect. This is why the idea described as notes borrowed from outside the key is the correct characterization. Notes strictly within the key stay diatonic; notes that form perfect intervals aren’t about chromaticism; and chromatic notes aren’t limited to major keys—they can occur in minor keys and other tonal contexts as well.

Chromatic notes are pitches that do not belong to the key’s diatonic scale. They’re the altered tones—sharps or flats—that a composer borrows from outside the key to add color, tension, or to approach a harmony more smoothly. For example, in C major, the diatonic notes are C D E F G A B; a note like C# (or Db) is chromatic because it isn’t part of that scale and might be used as a passing tone or borrowed from a related key to create a specific effect. This is why the idea described as notes borrowed from outside the key is the correct characterization. Notes strictly within the key stay diatonic; notes that form perfect intervals aren’t about chromaticism; and chromatic notes aren’t limited to major keys—they can occur in minor keys and other tonal contexts as well.