word
Chromaticism
kroh-MAT-ih-siz-um
/kroʊˈmætɪsɪzəm/Listen
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Syllable breakdown
krohMATihsizum
Dictionary meaning
The use of notes outside the diatonic scale of the prevailing key, creating harmonic richness, tension, or ambiguity; heavily employed in late Romantic music by composers such as Wagner and Liszt.
Examples
- Wagner's Tristan und Isolde is celebrated for its extreme chromaticism that constantly delays harmonic resolution.
- Chromaticism in jazz allows soloists to move outside the chord tones for expressive tension.
Synonyms: chromatic harmony, chromaticness
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