The Use of Chromatic Scale in Music Composition

How do composers create dissonance for special, dramatic effects in music?

1) Major scale

2) Minor scale

3) Chromatic scale

4) Pentatonic scale

Answer:

The chromatic scale is used by composers to create dissonance and dramatic effects in music.

Composers often use the chromatic scale to create dissonance for special, dramatic effects in music. Unlike the major and minor scales which have specific patterns of whole and half-steps that produce more consonant and harmonious sounds, the chromatic scale consists of all twelve pitches of the octave, each a half step apart. This scale allows composers to include notes that are outside the key of the piece, generating tension and dissonance.

This technique can be seen in the works of Arnold Schoenberg, who utilized atonality and a twelve-tone scale to subvert traditional expectations of music and create a sense of unpredictability and drama. An example can be imagined in a film scene where dissonant chords heighten the emotion and suggest impending danger.