A Study Of Whole-tone Scale

This paper which analyses the characteristics and development of the Whole-tone scale, combined with the works of different time’s representative composers, explores the Whole-tone’s,which is a tonal system, role in the development from the tonality to the atonality.The whole-tone scale is a special tonal system which is consists of six Whole-tones without any toward to semitone. Due to that the distance of these degrees is same, it is hard to make a tendency during them and to distinguish the stabilization or not.Glinka, the Russian composer, was the earliest person to use the Whole-tone scale to compose, then Korsakov, Mussorgsky who were the Russian nationalism in music more or less to use this skill to compose. Then it extended to the West Europe.Debussy, who was the famous French composer applied the whole-tone scale in his all kinds of periods’works and made it to be the main language of the colorful impressionist music. The contribution of Debussy made a great influence in the composers and music styleThe musical language and musical style in the twentieth are different from any times in the history. Plenty of composers are enthusiastic to find new ways to creative work. For the music debugging, Messiaen according to the symmetric concept made another debugging, limited shift mode. another composers, such as Bartok and Stravinsky also explored the new musical languages.The whole-tone scale which is a important role in the development from the tonality to the atonality.