Scale

1. (Ger, Ton’keiter; Fr. échelle, gamme; It, sca’la.) For the ancient scales compare Mode, Greek music, Octave-scale.—A modern scale is sim: ply the series of tones, taken in direct succe ion, which form (2) any major or minor key (diatonic scale), or (4) the chromatic scale of succe ive semitonic steps. (Comp. Ky.).. Pent at on’ic scale, a ‘s-tone” scale found in primitive melodies of certain peoples (Scotch, Chinese), in which the step of a semitone is avoided by omitting the qth and ‘7th degrees in major and the 2nd and 6th in minor. It can be played on the pi e by touching § succe ive black eys, beginning on /¥ for major, and on 2p for minor. The ancient Greek chromatic scale also had five tones.— 2. The series of tones producible on various wind-instrs is also called a scale, whether the series is diatonic or not; the term is also used for the compa or range of a voice or instr.—Harmonic scale, the series of higher partial tones (see Acoustics).—3. (Ger. Mensur’; Fr. dal on.) In the tubes of wind-instr s, especially organ-pipes, the ratio between the width of bore and the length; this varies in organ-pipes from about 1:10 to 1: 24,8, broad scale yielding a mellow, sonorous tone, and a narrow scale yielding a sharp and thrilling, or a thin, stringy tone. Scannet’to,