Construction
Step pattern (W = whole step): W-W-W-W-W-W.
Formula (intervals from the root): 1-2-3-#4-#5-#6
Six notes, all separated by whole steps. Every interval is identical, so the scale divides the octave into six equal parts. Only two distinct whole tone collections exist -- any starting note belongs to one or the other.
Origin and Relationships
- The whole tone scale is symmetric: rotating to any degree produces the same step pattern, so there are no distinct modes.
- Only two transpositions cover all twelve roots. If you know one whole tone collection, you know half the chromatic universe.
- Compare to the augmented scale: both are six-note symmetric scales, but whole tone has no half steps and no internal tension, while the augmented scale alternates A (augmented seconds, 3 half steps) and H (half steps), providing resolution points that whole tone lacks.
- Shares the #4 and b7 (enharmonic #6) with Lydian Dominant (the 4th mode of melodic minor), but Lydian Dominant adds a natural 5 and a full seven-note structure, making it a more grounded alternative for dominant harmony.
Harmonic Context
- 7#5 (a dominant seventh chord with a raised fifth): All scale tones are chord tones or natural extensions -- the 9, #11, and #5 sit right in the scale.
- 7b5 (a dominant seventh chord with a lowered fifth): The #4 is enharmonic (same pitch, different name) to b5, giving a clean fit.
- aug (augmented triad): The scale contains two augmented triads, each built from alternating scale degrees. These triads are the primary chords the scale produces.
Characteristic Tones
The intervals that give this scale its distinctive sound:
- #4 and #5: These raised degrees define the scale's relationship to dominant chords. Together with the root and 3, they outline the 7#5 sound. Compare to Mixolydian (the 5th mode of major), which has natural 4 and natural 5 -- whole tone raises both, removing all intervals that create a sense of gravity.
- #6: Same pitch as b7, this degree completes the dominant seventh framework. It reflects the scale's uniformly raised upper structure -- every degree above the 3rd is sharped. Without half steps there are no leading tones, no tendency -- just drift.
Melodic Applications
Whole tone creates a floating, impressionistic sound. Because every step is the same distance, sequences started on any degree sound identical, reinforcing the scale's lack of gravity. Use it over 7#5 or aug chords for passages of harmonic suspension. Debussy built entire textures from this effect -- brief whole tone passages dissolving into resolution within a key (returning to diatonic harmony).
Practice Seeds
Two collections. Spell both whole tone collections from memory, then confirm they share no notes. Build pitch awareness -- knowing which collection you are in is the first step to using the scale in real time.
Triad hunt. Locate the two augmented triads inside one collection and arpeggiate them. Internalize the scale's harmonic skeleton -- these triads are the only chords the scale can build.
Whole tone vs. augmented. Play a whole tone passage, then switch to the augmented scale over the same sustained root note. Hear what half steps add -- the augmented scale's H intervals create resolution points that whole tone deliberately avoids.
Color splash. Insert a short whole tone run into a melody over any dominant chord (such as a 7#5 -- a dominant seventh with a raised fifth), then resolve back to the key. Practice using the scale as a momentary color rather than a home base -- a brief departure that adds tension before returning to familiar ground.