A heptaton refers to a musical scale or system consisting of seven tones. The term is derived from the Greek word “hepta,” meaning seven, and “tonos,” meaning tone.
In music theory, a heptatonic scale is any scale that includes seven distinct notes within one octave. A common example is the major scale, which is a heptatonic scale with a specific pattern of whole and half steps. Another example is the natural minor scale, which also contains seven notes. These scales are fundamental in many musical traditions around the world.