- How many octatonic scales are there?
- What is a octatonic scale in music?
- Is the octatonic scale the same as the diminished scale?
How many octatonic scales are there?
The octatonic is a mode of (very) limited transposition, and there are three possible scales: Oct 0,2; Oct 0,1; and Oct 1,2. The numbers of the names indicate all that is needed to identify a particular octatonic scale: two consecutive notes within the scale.
What is a octatonic scale in music?
An octatonic scale is any eight-note musical scale. However, the term most often refers to the symmetric scale composed of alternating whole and half steps, as shown at right.
Is the octatonic scale the same as the diminished scale?
Diminished scales consist of alternating whole steps and half steps. Some people call diminished scales “Octatonic” scales, as they have 8 notes (counting the root only once). This is different from the major modes, which have only 7 notes, again counting the root only once.