Whole tone · A · Guitar
The A Whole tone scale is A B D♭ E♭ F G — formula 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7, step pattern W–W–W–W–W–W. Use it over A7♯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 loops the scale up and down one octave in eighth notes (switch Loop off for a single pass) in the position starting at fret 5. “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 A | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | unison (0 semitones) | W |
| 2 | B | major 2nd (2 semitones) | W |
| 3 | D♭ | major 3rd (4 semitones) | W |
| ♯4 | E♭ | tritone (6 semitones) | W |
| ♯5 | F | minor 6th (8 semitones) | W |
| ♭7 | G | minor 7th (10 semitones) | W |
Chord it implies: A7♯5. Use it for: augmented dominant chords (7♯5, 7♭5) — a floating, symmetrical sound.
Common questions
A B D♭ E♭ F G. As scale degrees: 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7. It has 6 notes.
A Whole tone fits A7♯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 A on the low E string at fret 5, and play the one-octave position shown: E-string fret 5, E-string fret 7, E-string fret 9, A-string fret 6, A-string fret 8, D-string fret 5, D-string fret 7. Every A 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 A