Whole tone · F · Guitar
The F Whole tone scale is F G A B D♭ E♭ — formula 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7, step pattern W–W–W–W–W–W. Use it over F7♯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 1. “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 F | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | unison (0 semitones) | W |
| 2 | G | major 2nd (2 semitones) | W |
| 3 | A | major 3rd (4 semitones) | W |
| ♯4 | B | tritone (6 semitones) | W |
| ♯5 | D♭ | minor 6th (8 semitones) | W |
| ♭7 | E♭ | minor 7th (10 semitones) | W |
Chord it implies: F7♯5. Use it for: augmented dominant chords (7♯5, 7♭5) — a floating, symmetrical sound.
Common questions
F G A B D♭ E♭. As scale degrees: 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7. It has 6 notes.
F Whole tone fits F7♯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 F on the low E string at fret 1, and play the one-octave position shown: E-string fret 1, E-string fret 3, E-string fret 5, A-string fret 2, A-string fret 4, D-string fret 1, D-string fret 3. Every F 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 F