Guitar scale · exotic
C Whole Tone Scale
Symmetrical scale built entirely of whole steps, producing a floating, surreal dream atmosphere.
Tap any note to hear it.
C 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|--------------------------------8-10-12-| B|---------------------------9-11---------| G|----------------------9-11--------------| D|--------------8-10-12-------------------| A|---------9-11---------------------------| E|-8-10-12--------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------10-12-14-| B|-------------------------------11-13----------| G|-------------------------11-13----------------| D|----------------10-12-14----------------------| A|----------11-13-------------------------------| E|-10-12-14-------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------12-14-16-| B|-------------------------------13-15----------| G|-------------------------13-15----------------| D|----------------12-14-16----------------------| A|----------13-15-------------------------------| E|-12-14-16-------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------16-18-| B|-------------------------------17-19-------| G|----------------------15-17-19-------------| D|----------------16-18----------------------| A|-------15-17-19----------------------------| E|-16-18-------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------18-20-| B|-------------------------------19-21-------| G|----------------------17-19-21-------------| D|----------------18-20----------------------| A|-------17-19-21----------------------------| E|-18-20-------------------------------------|
How to play C Whole Tone on guitar
Find the root first: C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C 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 8–12. 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 | C |
| 2 | D |
| 3 | E |
| ♯4 | F# |
| ♯5 | G# |
| ♭7 | Bb |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C 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 C Whole Tone Scale?
- The C Whole Tone Scale has 6 notes: C, D, E, F#, G#, Bb.
- 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 C Whole Tone on the guitar?
- The root C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 8–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.