What is the name for a scale that has 12 notes and in which all intervals are half steps
The scale that has 12 notes and all intervals are half steps is called the Chromatic Scale.
The name for a scale that has 12 notes and in which all intervals are half steps is the chromatic scale.
The name for a scale with 12 notes and half step intervals between each note is called the chromatic scale. To understand why it is called the chromatic scale, let's break it down:
In Western music, we divide an octave (the interval between two frequencies with a ratio of 2:1) into 12 equal parts. Each of these parts is called a half step or a semitone. The chromatic scale includes all 12 possible pitches within an octave, making use of every available key on a piano keyboard.
To construct the chromatic scale, start from any given note and alternate between half steps (also known as semitones) until you reach the next occurrence of the starting note one octave higher. For example, starting from C, you would play C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, and B. This completes one octave of the chromatic scale.
The chromatic scale is useful for various purposes, such as identifying pitches, understanding intervals, modulation, and exploring different tonalities.