[dahy-uh-ton-ik] 
| 1. | noting those scales that contain five whole tones and two semitones, as the major, minor, and certain modal scales. |
| 2. | of or pertaining to the tones, intervals, or harmonies of such scales. |
| di·a·ton·ic (dī'ə-tŏn'ĭk) adj. Music Of or using only the seven tones of a standard scale without chromatic alterations. [Late Latin diatonicus, from Greek diatonikos : dia-, dia- + tonos, tone; see tone.] di'a·ton'i·cal·ly adv., di'a·ton'i·cism (-ĭ-sĭz'əm) n. |
diatonic
in music, any stepwise arrangement of the seven "natural" pitches (scale degrees) forming an octave without altering the established pattern of a key or mode-in particular, the major and natural minor scales. Some scales, including pentatonic and whole-tone scales, are not diatonic because they do not include the seven degrees.
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əˈtɒn