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MusicTheoryGym

Scale · 6 notes

G Whole Tone Scale

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

FGABC♯D♯

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

On the fretboard

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

EADGBe135791215FGABC♯D♯FGABC♯D♯FGABD♯FGABC♯D♯FGABC♯D♯FGABC♯D♯FGABC♯FGABC♯D♯FG

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

Notes in the G Whole Tone scale

DegreeNote
1G
2A
3B
♯4C♯
♯5D♯
♭7F

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

G 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 G 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 G Whole Tone scale?

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

What is the formula for the G 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 G scales

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