The Concepts “Diatonic”, “Chromatic” and “Enharmonic” throughout History
Abstract
The words ‘diatonic’, ‘chromatic’ and ‘enharmonic’, of Greek origin, have provoked several disputes throughout music history, as their meanings have not always been clear or shared by all those who used them. This article presents a historical revision of the concepts behind these terms based on the music-theory sources that have come down to us, beginning with the present-day uses of the terms and analysing the different meanings they have acquired at different points in history. It also reflects on the need musicologists have to resort to the historical analysis of the technical terms we use, both to agree on present-day meanings and to be able to successfully undertake the study of the historical textual sources in which these terms are used.
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