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G♭ Whole Tone Scale

Listen plays the scale. Play Along lights up each note in order so you can follow.

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
4SubdominantCA4
5DominantDA5
6SubmediantF♭m7
7Leading ToneG♭

Key Signature

The key of Gb Whole Tone has 6 flats.

B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭

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
3iiiB♭ MinorMinor
4IVB MajorMajor
5VD♭ MajorMajor
6viE♭ MinorMinor
7vii°F DiminishedDiminished

G♭ Whole Tone Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the Gb Whole Tone Scale?
The Gb Whole Tone Scale contains six notes: Gb – Ab – Bb – C – D – Fb. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does Gb Whole Tone have?
The key of Gb Whole Tone has 6 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭. Flats are added in a fixed order — B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭ — the reverse of the sharp order.
What does the Gb Whole Tone Scale sound like?
The Gb 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.