Octatonic scale scale" . The twelve tones of the chromatic scale are covered by three disjoint diminished seventh chords. The notes from two such seventh-chords combination form an octatonic collection. Because there are three ways to select two from three, there are three octatonic scales in the twelve-tone system. Each octatonic scale has exactly two modes: the first begins its ascent with a whole step, while the second begins its ascent with a half step (semitone). These modes are sometimes referred to as the "whole step/half-step diminished scale" and the "half-step/whole step diminished scale", respectively. Each of the three distinct scales can
Scale (music) the 20th century, additional types of scales were explored: A large variety of other scales exists, some of the more common being: Scales such as the pentatonic scale may be considered "gapped" relative to the diatonic scale. An "auxiliary scale" is a scale other than the primary or original scale. See: modulation (music) and Auxiliary diminished scale. In many musical circumstances, a specific note of the scale is chosen as the tonic—the central and most stable note of the scale. In Western tonal music, simple songs or pieces typically start and end on the tonic note. Relative to a choice