adverb
- in a manner relating to or based on a diatonic scale; using only the notes of a major or minor scale without chromatic alterations
Usage: music
Examples
- The melody moves diatonically through the C major scale without any accidentals.
- She played the passage diatonically, staying within the key signature.
- The composer wrote the opening phrase diatonically to establish the tonal center.
- In classical music, melodies often progress diatonically rather than jumping between distant pitches.
- The harmony functions diatonically, using only chords built from the scale degrees.