Skip to content

G♯ Whole Tone Scale

Hear the G♯ Whole Tone Scale played for you.

G♯ – A♯ – B♯ – C𝄪 – D𝄪 – F♯ – G♯
Formula:W-W-W-W-W-W
Intervals:P1-M2-M3-A4-A5-m7

Introduction

The G♯ Whole Tone scale contains six notes: G♯, A♯, B♯, C𝄪, D𝄪, and F♯. It follows the whole-step / half-step pattern W-W-W-W-W-W.

G♯ Whole Tone Scale Notes

DegreeNameNoteInterval
1TonicG♯P1
2SupertonicA♯M2
3MediantB♯M3
4SubdominantC𝄪A4
5DominantD𝄪A5
6SubmediantF♯m7
7Leading ToneG♯

Key Signature

The key of G# Whole Tone (enharmonically equivalent to Ab Whole Tone) has 4 flats.

B♭E♭A♭D♭

Order of flats

Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.

BEADGCF

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

Chords in the Key of G♯ Whole Tone Scale

These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the G♯ Whole Tone Scale:

C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
IG♯ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IG♯ MajorMajor
2iiA♯ MinorMinor
3iiiC MinorMinor
4IVC♯ MajorMajor
5VD♯ MajorMajor
6viF MinorMinor
7vii°G DiminishedDiminished

G♯ Whole Tone Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the G# Whole Tone Scale?
The G# Whole Tone Scale contains six notes: G# – A# – B# – Cx – Dx – F#. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does G# Whole Tone have?
The key of G# Whole Tone has 4 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭. Flats are added in a fixed order — B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭ — the reverse of the sharp order.
What does the G# Whole Tone Scale sound like?
The G# Whole Tone Scale has a dreamy, ambiguous quality with no half-steps — used by Debussy and in dream sequences. Listen to the audio playback above to hear the character on every note.

Related Tools

Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.