Music Scales and the Secret of What Diatonic Means

Scales Defined

• A scale is a division of an octave by intervals.
• A scale is succession of tones with exact relationships among the tones.
• A scale is succession of tones that divides exactly one octave. 

Typical Scale Divisions 

• A 5-tone scale is a pentatonic scale (e.g., pentatonic minor, pentatonic major).
• A 6-tone scale is a hexatonic scale (e.g., blues scale). 
• A 7-tone scale is a heptatonic scale (e.g., natural major scale, natural minor scale).

Diatonic Scale

• The prefix dia means through.
• A diatonic gets played from tonic through its octave.
• A diatonic scale is merely a scale that includes a Perfect 8 interval. 
• Said another way, diatonic scale is any scale played through all of the tones of the scale with a second tonic played at its next pitch, which is the first higher multiple of frequency of the tone.
• Any scale can be a diatonic scale if the octave tone of the tonic gets played.

Scale Degrees

• A scale degree is the place occupied by a tone of a scale.
• For pentatonic scales, there are five degrees:
  1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• For hexatonic scales, there are six degrees:
  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
  For heptatonic scales, there are seven degrees:
  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7