diatonised

Diatonised is a term used in music theory to describe a scale or melody that is based on the diatonic scale. The diatonic scale is a seven-note musical scale consisting of five whole steps and two half steps. The most common example of a diatonic scale is the major scale, which follows the pattern whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. The minor scale is another type of diatonic scale, with the natural minor scale following the pattern whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole.

When music is described as diatonised, it means that its pitches are drawn exclusively from the notes of a particular diatonic scale. This is in contrast to chromatic music, which utilizes all twelve notes of the chromatic scale, or modal music, which might draw from modes that are not strictly diatonic in their construction. Diatonised music tends to sound familiar and consonant to Western ears, as the diatonic scale forms the foundation of much of Western classical and popular music. Understanding diatonisation helps in analyzing the harmonic and melodic structure of many musical compositions.