A chromatic passing tone is a non-chord tone that occurs between two chord tones where the pitch of the passing tone moves by a half step instead of a whole step. It adds tension and color to a musical line.
Imagine you're painting a picture using only primary colors (red, blue, yellow). Suddenly you decide to add a small stroke of purple - a color that doesn't belong to the primary palette. This unexpected touch of purple represents the chromatic passing tone; it stands out amidst the familiar colors but still enhances the overall artistic effect.
Diatonic Scale: A scale consisting of seven pitches within an octave that follow specific patterns of whole steps (tones) and half steps (semitones). It forms the basis for most Western music compositions.
Modulation: The process of changing from one key or tonal center to another within a piece of music. It often involves using chromaticism to smoothly transition between keys.
Enharmonic Equivalent: Two different notations (such as C# and Db) that represent the same pitch on a musical instrument. It occurs due to the chromatic nature of music, where pitches can have multiple names depending on the context.
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