Whole tone · C · Guitar
The C Whole tone scale is C D E G♭ A♭ B♭ — formula 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7, step pattern W–W–W–W–W–W. Use it over C7♯5: it is the scale for augmented dominant chords (7♯5, 7♭5) — a floating, symmetrical sound. Below, every note is marked on the fretboard in standard tuning; press play to hear it on a synthesized guitar while each note lights up, or tap any fret to sound that note.
Visualizer
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano
Tap any note on the diagram to hear it. Play runs the scale up and down one octave in eighth notes in the position starting at fret 8. “Show” switches or combines the fretboard and keyboard; “Sound” picks the instrument you hear. Audio is synthesized in the browser.
Reference
| Degree | Note | Interval from C | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | unison (0 semitones) | W |
| 2 | D | major 2nd (2 semitones) | W |
| 3 | E | major 3rd (4 semitones) | W |
| ♯4 | G♭ | tritone (6 semitones) | W |
| ♯5 | A♭ | minor 6th (8 semitones) | W |
| ♭7 | B♭ | minor 7th (10 semitones) | W |
Chord it implies: C7♯5. Use it for: augmented dominant chords (7♯5, 7♭5) — a floating, symmetrical sound.
Common questions
C D E G♭ A♭ B♭. As scale degrees: 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7. It has 6 notes.
C Whole tone fits C7♯5 and, more generally, augmented dominant chords (7♯5, 7♭5) — a floating, symmetrical sound.
1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7 — the step pattern from the root is W W W W W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Start on the root C on the low E string at fret 8, and play the one-octave position shown: E-string fret 8, E-string fret 10, E-string fret 12, A-string fret 9, A-string fret 11, D-string fret 8, D-string fret 10. Every C on the neck is a root, so the same shape works in every position where the notes are marked.
Keep going
Same scale on piano · all Whole tone pages: Whole tone hub · theory: chord-scale theory.
Other scales from C