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Scale type

Whole Tone Scales on Piano

The whole tone scale is built entirely from whole steps — six notes with no half steps, creating a dreamlike, floating, and ambiguous sound. Because every interval is identical, the scale has no strong tonal center, no leading tone, and no pull toward resolution. Debussy used it extensively, and it appears in jazz over augmented and dominant 7♯5 chords.

Each key below opens the full reference entry — keyboard diagram, audio, fingerings, and notation.

Formula: W–W–W–W–W–W (all whole steps)

Intervals: P1–M2–M3–A4–A5–m7–P8

Scale degrees: 1–2–3–♯4–♯5–♭7

Sound: Dreamy, floating, impressionistic, unresolved

Also known as: Messiaen mode 1 (first mode of limited transposition)

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All 18 spellings, ♯ and ♭ keys listed separately.

Whole Tone Scale in All Keys

Only two distinct whole tone scales exist (C and D♭). Every other starting note produces one of these two collections.

C Whole Tone ScaleNotes: C – D – E – F♯ – G♯ – B♭

C♯ Whole Tone ScaleNotes: C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F♯♯ – G♯♯ – B

D♭ Whole Tone ScaleNotes: C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A

D Whole Tone ScaleNotes: D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – C

D♯ Whole Tone ScaleNotes: D♯ – E♯ – F♯♯ – G♯♯ – A♯♯ – C♯

E♭ Whole Tone ScaleNotes: E♭ – F – G – A – B – D♭

E Whole Tone ScaleNotes: E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – D – B♯

F Whole Tone ScaleNotes: F – G – A – B – C♯ – E♭

F♯ Whole Tone ScaleNotes: F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – C♯♯ – E – B♯

G♭ Whole Tone ScaleNotes: G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C – D – F♭

G Whole Tone ScaleNotes: G – A – B – C♯ – D♯ – F

G♯ Whole Tone ScaleNotes: G♯ – A♯ – C♯♯ – D♯♯ – F♯ – B♯

A♭ Whole Tone ScaleNotes: A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E – G♭

A Whole Tone ScaleNotes: A – B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – G

A♯ Whole Tone ScaleNotes: A♯ – C♯♯ – D♯♯ – E♯♯ – G♯ – B♯

B♭ Whole Tone ScaleNotes: B♭ – C – D – E – F♯ – A♭

B Whole Tone ScaleNotes: B – C♯ – D♯ – E♯ – F♯♯ – A

C♭ Whole Tone ScaleNotes: C♭ – D♭ – E♭ – F – G – B♭♭

Want the full theory? Intervals, construction, and how this scale connects to others.What Is a Scale? ›