Explore The Chord Structure And Characteristics Of The Whole Tone Scale

The advent of a klangmasse variant consisting of six whole-tones in the 20th century represents an important step in the progress of chord structure. Its influence on the musical harmonic systems of the times is significant. While adding a great variety of tone colors to the 20th century music, it makes possible a further exploration into the chord structure under whole-tone scale.I. Whole-tone scale and its evolutionA whole-tone scale is composed of six whole tones. As one can see, the overwhelming charms in them are intrinsic.Because a whole-tone scale has identical steps and the six tones of it are thus the same, it is not a mode scale for the void of a central or principal tone. The traditional major-minor tone scale is based on the natural overtone series, but the whole-tone scale has broken the natural flow direction between the sound and tone, and changed the traditional stable and unstable relationship between sound and tone in traditional major-minor tone. Viewed from the aspect of tonality, as a result of the sound levels of the whole-tone being strictly equal to the distance, there exists no distinguish of stability and instability among the six tones, and the whole-tone lacks centre tone or principal tone. Because there is no principal tone in whole-tone scales, the sound of its tones is structurally integer. In appearance a whole-tone scale has similarities to atone music series, but in music creation, a composer is free to place a central tonality in the scale. For that reason, whole-tone scale is considered as thoroughly different from atone music series. In reality, it is in between the mode scale and atone series.Whole-tone scale can be found in the works of many composers such as Modest Mussorgsky, Edvard Grieg, N·A·Rimsky-Korsakov, Richayd Wagner, Claude Debussy ,Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Hugo Wolf. Composer Debussy is the most prominent in this respect and his woks adopting the whole-tone scale has had far reaching influence.II. Whole-tone scale chord and its compositionA chord based on one and the same whole-tone scale with regard to composition is called a whole-tone scale chord. There are a number of alternatives for the chord composition.Augmented triad and French sixth are the only chords similar to that of the traditional types in appearance that can be incorporated. The two had served as the most important means for harmonic composition under whole-tone scale and had been employed until the age of impressionism.Music of whole-tone scale chords is characterized by little harmonic variation and exclusive use of whole-tone scale may lead to monotony. Inevitably in such a context the six whole tones forms the basis for the harmonic composition and the chord groups concurrent in the scale range amount to but accidental episodes. However, the use of whole-tone scale chords in music based on other types of scale can bring about amazing tone colors.III. Whole-tone scale chord structure and applicationWhile it is hard to have a thorough and scrupulous classification of whole-tone scale chord structures, their application can be approached in ways followed.1. To explore the structures of whole-tone scale chord in music with traditional tonality. The application makes music more expressive and enriches its tone colors.2. To explore the structures of whole-tone scale chord in terms of sustained notes. In such a composing method, the whole-tone scale chord generally consists of three levels, namely, a low sustained note, a fixed pattern of Arpeggio and the accompanying augmented triad going parallel. 3. To explore the structures of whole-tone scale chord in terms of semitone progress and diaphony. Semitone progress and diaphony were frequently employed in music composition in the end of the 19th century. The core of the theory is that the augmented triad breaks away from its traditional ties with the natural notes ahead of and following it and by way of semitone ascending and descending it has increased the number of semitone relations.To conclude, traditional concept of music harmony has gradually given its way to an entirely new development.