Music Theory: A Look at Chromatics and Key ChangesWriten by Richard Mould
When playing in a major scale, only seven notes are used, out of a total of twelve. The five notes that remain are said to be out of key, and should be avoided in standard playing unless following a structural change in the accompanying rhythm or chord progression(s). To understand how you can use the excluded five tones, you must first change your perspective on the nature of keys.
A key can be approached in two different ways; the first way is to view a key as seven tones in a successive pattern of intervals, and the second way to view a key is to see it as a set of notes that remain, after omitting five excess notes. The excess notes are not to be brushed aside, but rather, used carefully at the players discretion as powerful exclamations and emphasis points. They lie beyond the strict key parameters and should emerge, temporarily, as members of the key. When these notes emerge, they create a chromatic series.
Chromatic notes lie within one-half step of one another, and they can often be found in blues, metal and jazz. For example, you are said to be playing chromatics if you play from a G to F# to F. In the key of F Major, the following notes are used; F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F and the notes that are not being used are; F#, G#, B, C# and D#. If any of these unused notes are played, a chromatic series will occur, i.e. F-F#-G, or Bb-B, C, etc.
It is my argument that some chromatics should treated as passing tones, while others should be approached as temporary members of the key, or more colorful variations that lie behind the faade of a major key. What determines the nature of the note would be the context in which it is used. An example in the key of F Major is the use of C#. It is cacophonic when used with a C major chord, but when harmonizing a D minor, the C# gives a smooth, Spanish guitar vibe. In my opinion, every note, in some context, is a member, or temporary member of all keys!
Consider playing in the Locrian mode of F Major, or playing from the E. The primary chord is an E diminished chord, consisting of E, G and Bb. The chromatic points are between the E-F and A-Bb. Now, add a B, creating a chromatic series between the A, Bb and B. Whereas the B is pretty much useless in every other application in the key of F Major, it all of a sudden becomes a very powerful note.
Some would argue that the coming and going of these notes signifies a key change. I disagree, and would argue that as long as the musical piece centers on the same root note, the key remains the same. However, if notes change in the order of the circle of fifths and do not change back, then the key has in fact changed, i.e. play in C Major; sharpen the 4th to F#. If the F# note remains in play, and the F natural does not, then the key has changed to G Major. The original key notes must continue to be used in order for the key to remain intact. When these notes are substituted, the key has officially changed! But, it has not changed when additional notes are temporarily utilized.
Richard Mould grew up in Seattle, Washington and Norman, Oklahoma. He has played the guitar for a very long time.
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