What is "major diatonic scale"

major diatonic scale \major diatonic scale\ n. (Mus.), The natural diatonic scale, which has semitones between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth notes, and whole tones between the other notes; the scale of the major mode, of which the third is major; also called major scale. See Scale, and Diatonic.

n. a diatonic scale with notes separated by whole tones except for the 3rd and 4th and 7th and 8th [syn: major scale]