Whole Tone Scales

Alternate names: Augmented Scale

The Whole Tone Scale is, as the name implies, built from notes with intervals of a whole note. This is a so-called symmetrical scale, meaning that the interval steps are the same throughout the scale. A whole tone is the same as two steps on the keyboard, a half tone is consequently one step.

The scale consists of six tones (the pictures show one octave including both the start and end note, the tonic). This is a rather uncommon scale, but it is used in is bebop and sometimes played over dominant seventh chords. As you may notice there is only two different sets of notes:
1. C, D, E, F#, G#, Bb
2. C#, D#, F, G, A, B
What differs besides these sets is only which note a scale starts on.

C

C Whole Tone scale diagram
Notes: C, D, E, F#, G#, Bb, C
Fingering (LH): 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1
Fingering (RH): 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

C# / Db

C# Whole Tone scale diagram
Notes: C#, D#, F, G, A, B, C#
Fingering (LH): 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 3
Fingering (RH): 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2

D

D Whole Tone scale diagram
Notes: D, E, F#, G#, A#, C, D
Fingering (LH): 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2
Fingering (RH): 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2

D# /Eb

D# Whole Tone scale diagram
Notes: D#, F, G, A, B, C#, D#
Fingering (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2
Fingering (RH): 4, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4

E

E Whole Tone scale diagram
Notes: E, F#, G#, A#, C, D, E
Fingering (LH): 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2
Fingering (RH): 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3

F

F Whole Tone scale diagram
Notes: F, G, A, B, C#, Eb, F
Fingering (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1
Fingering (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4

F# / Gb

F# Whole Tone scale diagram
Notes: F#, G#, A#, C, D, E, F#
Fingering (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2
Fingering (RH): 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4

G

G Whole Tone scale diagram
Notes: G, A, B, C#, D#, F, G
Fingering (LH): 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2, 1
Fingering (RH): 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

G# / Ab

G# Whole Tone scale diagram
Notes: G#, A#, C, D, E, F#, G#
Fingering (LH): 3, 2, 1, 2, 1, 3, 2
Fingering (RH): 2, 3, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3

A

A Whole Tone scale diagram
Notes: A, B, C#, D#, F, G, A
Fingering (LH): 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3
Fingering (RH): 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3

A# / Bb

A# Whole Tone scale diagram
Notes: A#, C, D, E, F#, G#, A#
Fingering (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 2
Fingering (RH): 4, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4

B

B Whole Tone scale diagram
Notes: B, C#, D#, F, G, A, B
Fingering (LH): 4, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1
Fingering (RH): 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 4

Whole Tone Scales overview
C: C, D, E, F#, G#, Bb, C
C#/Db: C#, D#, F, G, A, B, C# / Db, Eb, F, G, A, B, Eb
D: D, E, F#, G#, A#, C, D
D#/Eb: D#, F, G, A, B, C#, D# / Eb, F, G, A, B, Db, Eb
E: E, F#, G#, A#, C, D, E
F: F, G, A, B, C#, Eb, F
F#/Gb: F#, G#, A#, C, D, E, F# / Gb, Ab, Bb, C, D, E, Gb
G: G, A, B, C#, D#, F, G
G#/Ab: G#, A#, C, D, E, F#, G# / Ab, Bb, C, D, E, Gb, Ab
A: A, B, C#, D#, F, G, A
A#/Bb: A#, C, D, E, F#, G#, A# / Bb, C, D, E, Gb, Ab, Bb
B: B, C#, D#, F, G, A, B (or B, C#, D#, E#, F##, A, B)

Intervals: 1, 2, 3, #4, #5, b7
Semi-notes: 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2
Formula: Whole, Whole, Whole, Whole, Whole, Whole