Learning the C Whole Tone Scale
Many players first meet the whole tone scale in the key of C: C, D, E, F#, G# and Bb. The C whole tone scale contains six notes, each a whole step from its neighbours, so there is no tonic pull.
Start on the 3rd fret of the A string or the 8th fret of the low E string. The piano run in Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" is this exact scale, and film and TV often use it for dream sequences.
Play the C whole-tone scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the C whole-tone scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | Root | 0 |
| D | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| E | 3 | Major 3rd | 4 |
| F# | #4 | Tritone | 6 |
| G# | #5 | Minor 6th | 8 |
| Bb | b7 | Minor 7th | 10 |
Structure
C whole-tone scale notes:
How the whole-tone scale is built:
The whole-tone scale is built from the degrees 1 2 3 #4 #5 b7, which gives the step pattern W-W-W-W-W-W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. That makes it a 6-note scale.
C Whole-Tone Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (B)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
The whole-tone scale in other keys
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
