Guitar scale · exotic
A Whole Tone Scale
Symmetrical scale built entirely of whole steps, producing a floating, surreal dream atmosphere.
Tap any note to hear it.
A Whole Tone Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-------------------------5-7-9-| B|---------------------6-8-------| G|-----------------6-8-----------| D|-----------5-7-9---------------| A|-------6-8---------------------| E|-5-7-9-------------------------|
e|------------------------------7-9-11-| B|-------------------------8-10--------| G|--------------------8-10-------------| D|-------------7-9-11------------------| A|--------8-10-------------------------| E|-7-9-11------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------9-11-13-| B|-----------------------------10-12---------| G|-----------------------10-12---------------| D|---------------9-11-13---------------------| A|---------10-12-----------------------------| E|-9-11-13-----------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------13-15-| B|-------------------------------14-16-------| G|----------------------12-14-16-------------| D|----------------13-15----------------------| A|-------12-14-16----------------------------| E|-13-15-------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------15-17-| B|-------------------------------16-18-------| G|----------------------14-16-18-------------| D|----------------15-17----------------------| A|-------14-16-18----------------------------| E|-15-17-------------------------------------|
How to play A Whole Tone on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, ♯5, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–9. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| 2 | B |
| 3 | C# |
| ♯4 | D# |
| ♯5 | E# |
| ♭7 | G |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise A Whole Tone anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
Free
- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
- A tuner with 10 tunings and a metronome from 30 to 260 BPM
- A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
- Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz
One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
- Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
- No subscription, ads removed
Questions
- What notes are in the A Whole Tone Scale?
- The A Whole Tone Scale has 6 notes: A, B, C#, D#, E#, G.
- What is the formula of the whole tone scale?
- 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7, which is the step pattern W W W W W W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Whole Tone on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–9, and four more positions connect it up the neck.