How to Play a Chromatic Scale

The chromatic scale is all the notes in a scale, including the sharps and flats of each whole tone. To play the chromatic scale, a musician must play each note in an octave (eight notes). There are 12 half steps in each octave. We will use the piano as an example. Imagine playing all the white and black keys on a piano.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Start the chromatic scale on the middle C. The half steps are also called semitones, as most tones can be divided and create a sharp or flat.

2. Move up the scale to the C sharp / D flat (C#, Db) and on to the D. This is a whole step or whole tone up the scale. On the piano, the sharps and flats are played on the black keys.

3. Continue up the scale, playing the D flat / E sharp (Db, E#) and E and then F. There is no half tone between the E and F. Look at the piano keyboard and you will see there are no black keys between the Es and Fs.

4. Play the F sharp / G flat (E#, Gb), G, G sharp / A flat (G#, Ab) and A.

5. Finish the chromatic scale by playing the A sharp / B flat (A#, Bb), B and C. Notice that there is no half tone between the B and C, as tonally there is no need for a B sharp or C flat. This completes the chromatic scale.