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5.1.7
The Whole Tone Scale and Impressionist Music

Normally, an equal-interval scale sounds like rubbish. But here’s an equal interval scale that sounds musical (Figure 28). It has a dream-like, fanciful quality. Almost surreal.

Impressionist composers such as Claude Debussy used this whole tone scale in many compositions.

This scale contains consonant intervals with simple frequency ratios (major thirds, minor sixths) and dissonant intervals (major seconds, tritones, minor sevenths).

This whole tone scale below is also one of many scales used in Indian music (Mayamalavagowla, Bhairav Raga). Another divides the octave into 22 “microtones”—intervals smaller than a semitone.

Indian or whole tone musical scale showing equal intervals and seven notes.

FIGURE 28: Whole Tone Scale Used in Impressionist Music (6 Intervals, 7 Notes)

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