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Scale · 6 notes

D Whole Tone Scale

D Whole Tone is a 6-note scale with the notes D E F♯ G♯ A♯ C. It sounds six notes all a whole step apart, so it has no home note: floating, dreamlike and ambiguous.

CDEF♯G♯A♯

Purple = D (the tonic) · green = other scale notes

On the fretboard

Every D whole tone note on the neck. Pick a pattern to see the compact fingering shape that fits under one hand.

EADGBe135791215EF♯G♯A♯CDEF♯A♯CDEF♯G♯A♯CDEF♯G♯A♯CDEG♯A♯CDEF♯G♯A♯CDEF♯G♯A♯CDEF♯G♯A♯CDEF♯

Blue = D (the root) · green = other scale notes

Notes in the D Whole Tone scale

DegreeNote
1D
2E
3F♯
♯4G♯
♯5A♯
♭7C

Each note uses a different letter name, so the spelling follows the scale rather than the keyboard: D E F♯ G♯ A♯ C.

D Whole Tone scale formula

The pattern of steps from one note to the next is W – W – W – W – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step). Compared with the major scale the degrees are 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7.

How to practise the D Whole Tone scale

Learn it as a rotation of a scale you already know (lydian dominant is melodic minor starting on its 4th note, altered starts on its 7th) and play it over the matching chord with a drone on the root.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes in the D Whole Tone scale?

The notes of the D Whole Tone scale are D E F♯ G♯ A♯ C.

What is the formula for the D Whole Tone scale?

The pattern of whole and half steps is W – W – W – W – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step). In scale degrees: 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7.

More D scales

D Major, D Natural Minor, D Harmonic Minor, D Melodic Minor, D Dorian, D Phrygian, D Lydian, D Mixolydian, D Locrian, D Major Pentatonic, D Minor Pentatonic, D Blues, D Lydian Dominant, D Altered, D Dorian ♭2, D Lydian Augmented, D Mixolydian ♭6, D Locrian ♯2, D Phrygian Dominant, D Hungarian Minor, D Double Harmonic, D Diminished (W–H), D Diminished (H–W), D Bebop Dominant, D Bebop Major

Explore the full scales library, find a scale from notes with the scale finder, or see every chord in every key in the chord chart.