The Whole Tone Scale on Guitar: How to Play and Use It

Most guitar scales follow a mix of whole steps and half steps. The major scale, the minor scale, the modes - they all have irregular spacing that creates tension and resolution at specific points. The whole tone scale does something completely different: every single step is a whole tone. No half steps, no irregularity, no hierarchy between notes.

The result is a scale that sounds floating, dreamlike, and slightly otherworldly. There is no strong tonal center, no note that wants to resolve more than any other. It is the harmonic equivalent of suspension - you are always somewhere between where you came from and where you are going.

The Structure of the Whole Tone Scale

A whole tone scale starting on C:

C - D - E - F# - G# - A# - C

Every interval is a whole step (two frets). Count it: C to D (2 frets), D to E (2 frets), E to F# (2 frets), F# to G# (2 frets), G# to A# (2 frets), A# to C (2 frets). Perfect symmetry.

Because each step is identical, the whole tone scale has an important property: there are only two unique whole tone scales. Every other whole tone scale is just one of these two starting on a different note.

Scale 1 (C starting point): C - D - E - F# - G# - A# Scale 2 (C# starting point): C# - D# - F - G - A - B

Any whole tone scale you build starting on any of these notes will contain the same pitches as one of these two scales. This is very different from major or minor scales, where every root gives you a different set of notes.

Why the Whole Tone Scale Sounds the Way It Does

The floating, unresolved quality of the whole tone scale comes from two things:

1. No half steps. Half steps create the pull of resolution in tonal music. Leading tones (like B resolving to C) work because of a half-step tension. With no half steps anywhere, there is no note that “needs” to go anywhere.

2. Built entirely from augmented intervals. Every set of three consecutive notes in the whole tone scale forms an augmented triad. The augmented triad (1 - 3 - #5) is ambiguous and unstable-sounding by itself. A scale made entirely of augmented relationships amplifies this ambiguity throughout.

Claude Debussy used the whole tone scale extensively to create the impressionistic, watery quality of his piano music. Jazz musicians use it over augmented and altered dominant chords.

Fingering the Whole Tone Scale on Guitar

Because the scale moves by whole steps only, the fingering is beautifully simple and symmetrical.

Three Notes Per String Pattern (Starting on Low E)

C whole tone scale:

e --9--11--13--
B --9--11----
---
G --8--10----
---
D --8--10----
---
A --7--9-----
---
E --7--9-----
---

Notice the pattern: two notes per string, each pair separated by two frets. The same two-fret pattern repeats on every string. Once you learn one pair, you know the whole scale - just repeat the same shape.

The scale can also be played starting at any position. Because of the two-scale-only property, if you start on any note that is a whole step away from your current starting note, you get the same scale.

One-Octave Whole Tone Scale Starting on E (Open Position Area)

e ---9--
B --7
---
G --5
---
D --4
---
A --2
---
E --0
---

Or starting from the 12th position:

e --12--
B --12--
G --11--
D --11--
A --9
---
E --9
---

The pattern of 2-2 or 1-1 (using fret positions) is consistent throughout.

When to Use the Whole Tone Scale

Over Augmented Chords

The whole tone scale is essentially the scale of the augmented triad. When you encounter an augmented chord (C+, Eaug, Gaug7), the whole tone scale starting on the root is the natural choice.

Augmented chords appear:

• As passing chords (e.g., I - Iaug - IV: C - Caug - F)
• As substitutes for dominant 7 chords in jazz
• In classical-influenced progressions

Over Dominant 7th with Augmented 5th (7#5)

The 7#5 chord (also written as 7aug or +7) is a natural whole tone chord. G7#5 contains G - B - D# - F, all of which belong to the G whole tone scale.

Any time you see a 7#5 chord, reach for the whole tone scale starting on its root.

Over Altered Dominant Chords (7alt)

The whole tone scale does not contain a b9 (flat 9), but it does contain a #9 interpretation, making it useful over certain altered dominant voicings in jazz. When a backing track or lead sheet says “7alt,” try the whole tone scale as one color option among others.

For Creating Tension and Suspense

Because the whole tone scale has no strong resolution tendency, it creates a floating, suspended quality. Use it to deliberately delay harmonic resolution - play over a dominant chord with the whole tone scale, and when you finally land on the tonic, the resolution feels especially satisfying.

Characteristic Licks Using the Whole Tone Scale

Lick 1: Ascending Sequence

e --------------------12--
B ----------------12---
---
G ------------11-------
---
D --------11-----------
---
A ----9-----------------
---
E --9-------------------
---

A simple ascending whole tone run starting from E. The two-fret spacing gives it a floaty, slightly alien quality. Try bending the last note a half step for color.

Lick 2: Triplet Descent

e --12--11--9--
B --12------
---
G --11------
---
D --11------
---
A --9-------
---
E ----------
---

Descending triplets through the scale. The irregular triplet rhythm against the symmetric scale creates an interesting textural clash.

Lick 3: Broken Thirds

e --9--12--11--14--
B --9--12-------
---
G --8--11-------
---

Playing every other note in the scale (skipping one each time) creates a series of major thirds. Because every interval in the scale is a whole step, every “skip one” interval is a major third. This produces a specific, distinctive sound when played across strings.

The Whole Tone Scale in Context

Here is how to integrate the whole tone scale into an actual musical situation:

Chord progression: Cmaj7 - C7#5 - Fmaj7

On the Cmaj7, play within C major. On the C7#5, switch to the C whole tone scale (C - D - E - F# - G# - A#). On the Fmaj7, resolve back to F major or Ionian.

The contrast between the regular major scale phrasing and the floating whole tone sound over the C7#5 makes the resolution to Fmaj7 feel especially warm and satisfying.

Common Mistakes

Overusing it. The whole tone scale is best used for specific moments, not as a general-purpose scale. Its floating quality becomes monotonous if used excessively.

Not connecting it to the right chords. Using whole tone over a minor chord or a plain major chord creates a clash. It works specifically over augmented and dominant altered chords.

Playing it without understanding the sound. Practice the scale while singing the notes. Internalize the sound before using it in improvisation.

Forgetting it only has two versions. You do not need to learn twelve whole tone scales - just two. If you know C whole tone, you know every whole tone scale built on any of its notes.

Practice Routine

Week 1: Learn the whole tone scale starting on C. Play it ascending and descending, hands only, with a metronome at 60 BPM.

Week 2: Identify the notes of C7#5 and G7#5. Practice the whole tone scale over a drone on C and on G, listening to how each note sounds against the drone.

Week 3: Play the sequence Cmaj7 - C7#5 - Fmaj7 and apply the whole tone scale over the C7#5 chord only. Focus on entering and exiting the whole tone sound at the right moments.

Week 4: Create a short lick (four beats) using the whole tone scale. Use it in a blues or jazz context to add a touch of augmented color.

Try This in Guitar Wiz

Guitar Wiz’s chord library can help you see exactly which chord shapes correspond to whole tone harmony. Look up Caug (C augmented) and G7#5 in the chord library. Notice which notes these chords contain - all of them belong to the C whole tone scale.

When you are building a progression in Song Maker, try inserting a 7#5 chord as a passing chord between two regular chords. For example: Cmaj7 - G7#5 - Cmaj7. The G7#5 creates a brief moment of augmented tension before resolving. Practice targeting notes from the G whole tone scale during that chord, then resolving to a C major tone when the Cmaj7 returns.

The whole tone scale is one of the most immediately recognizable sounds in guitar playing once your ear is trained to hear it. A few measures of practice is often enough to start hearing where it fits and where it does not.

Conclusion

The whole tone scale is a unique color in the guitarist’s palette - dreamlike, floating, and harmonically ambiguous. Its perfectly symmetrical structure makes it easy to learn (only two unique versions) and its application is clear: use it over augmented and altered dominant chords to create floating, suspended passages. Start by learning it in one position, connect it to the right chord types, and use it sparingly for maximum effect.

FAQ

Is the whole tone scale used in rock guitar? Less commonly than in jazz, but yes. Steve Howe of Yes and other progressive rock guitarists have used it for otherworldly sounds. It also appears in film music and classical guitar.

How many whole tone scales are there really? Only two distinct collections of notes. Any “whole tone scale” starting on C, D, E, F#, G#, or A# uses the same six pitches. The other six starting notes (C#, D#, F, G, A, B) use the second set of six pitches.

Can I use the whole tone scale over a dominant 7 chord without alteration? Yes, but with care. The scale’s #4 (F# over a C7) can clash if emphasized. It works better over dominant chords that already have augmented or altered qualities (7#5, 7b5, 7alt).