Whole Tone

The whole tone scale is another atonal scale with equidistant tones. This time, each note is a whole step apart, and there are six tones per octave. It gives an odd sort of “lost” quality. Below, the notes, tones, and intervallic structure are shown based on E.

Whole tone scale, positional

Again, any note can be made to be the root since all tones are equidistant. Therefore, there are only two different whole tone scales—one starting on any given note and a another one starting a half step higher (or lower). Below is the positional pattern beginning on G at the third fret. Notice how the pattern can be moved up two frets at a time and it is still the same scale, using exactly the same pattern.

Whole tone scale, three notes per string

The three-note-per string whole-tone pattern is shown below. It may also be shifted up two frets at a time without changing the pattern or tonality. Use fingering 1–2–4 on each string.