The Whole Tone Scale

The whole tone scale is a symmetrical six note scale that has a very distinctive sound and is used for playing over altered dominant chords. The whole tone scale has been around for a long time but is commonly used in jazz to play over altered dominant chords with a flat or sharp fifth. Classical composers used this scale to great effect, especially composers such as Ravel and Claude Debussy. I really love the sound of this scale and because it only has six notes, it is great for creating interesting altered patterns and wide interval jazz lines. Guitarists love this scale because it is easy to visualise on the fret board due to its symmetrical nature.

Lets get started by taking a look at the notes and intervals of the whole tone scale and then we will take a look at how you can use this interesting six note scale in your own playing.

The notes of the C whole tone scale are:

C, D, E, F#, G#, Bb

The intervals of the C whole tone scale are:

1, 2, 3, #4, #5, b7

The whole tone scale has a kind of mystical sound to it and it can sound really interesting when played over an altered dominant chord. The whole tone scale contains both a sharp fifth note and a flattened fifth note. As you can see by looking at the interval structure of this scale, the best choices of chord for playing this scale over are 7b5 and 7#5 chords.

The symmetrical nature of this dominant scale lends itself to repeating patterns and wide interval phrases. Within the whole tone scale you will find an augmented arpeggio which really helps to bring out the sound of this altered jazz scale.