Diatonic
Diatonic is the word for notes and chords that belong to the scale of a key. In C major all the white keys are diatonic notes, and all triads made from these notes are diatonic chords. The opposite is called non-diatonic.
- Meaning
- belongs to the scale of the key
- In C major
- C D E F G A B
- Diatonic triads
- seven, one per degree
- Opposite
- non-diatonic
Everything the scale offers
A key fixes which seven notes belong to it. In C major these are C, D, E, F, G, A and B. These notes are called diatonic. If you stack two thirds on each degree from exactly these notes, the seven diatonic triads of the key arise. They include three major, three minor and one diminished triad.
The seven diatonic triads of C major
On every degree of the C major scale there is a triad that contains only notes of the scale: C, D minor, E minor, F, G, A minor and the diminished triad on B.
In the glossary: Diatonic chord · Scale · Non-diatonic
| Degree | Chord | Notes | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | C–E–G | major |
| ii | Dm | D–F–A | minor |
| iii | Em | E–G–B | minor |
| IV | F | F–A–C | major |
| V | G | G–B–D | major |
| vi | Am | A–C–E | minor |
| vii° | B° | B–D–F | diminished |
Listening
All seven chords sound “at home” in C major. The diminished triad on B belongs too, even if it sounds restless: it contains only notes of the scale. The kinship of the diatonic chords explains why most songs consist of only a small selection of them.
By way of distinction
Diatonic is relative to the key: F♯ is non-diatonic in C major but diatonic in G major. In minor an additional question arises, because the scale has several forms (natural, harmonic, melodic). Depending on the theory, the raised seventh degree is also counted among the diatonic notes when it occurs in the context of the key. A non-diatonic note or chord, by contrast, comes from another key or is chromatically altered.
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Related terms
Non-diatonicDiatonic chordScaleKeyTriadAlterationChromaticism
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
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