Chord Colors

C Whole Tone scale
PianoGuitar

About the C Whole Tone scale

C Whole Tone is used for dream sequences, impressionist music and solos over dominant chords. Think of it as a scale of nothing but whole steps, floating with no clear home. It is C Prometheus with the sixth lowered.

Its notes are C, D, E, F♯, A♭, and B♭. The formula is W W W W W W.

Also called Auxiliary Augmented and Messiaen Mode 1.

Learn more about the C Whole Tone scale

On the piano, C Whole Tone touches the black keys F♯, A♭, and B♭.

Notes and intervals

1CCRoot
2DDMajor 2nd
3EEMajor 3rd
4F#F♯Augmented 4th
5AbA♭Minor 6th
6BbB♭Minor 7th
StepsW W W W W W
Semitones2-2-2-2-2-2
Degrees1 2 3 ♯4 ♭6 ♭7

Shapes

Chromatic

CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B

Circle of Fifths

CGDAEBF♯G♭C♯D♭G♯A♭D♯E♭A♯B♭F

Related scales

Whole Tone in other keys

D flat Whole Tone scaleD Whole Tone scaleE flat Whole Tone scaleE Whole Tone scaleF Whole Tone scaleG flat Whole Tone scaleG Whole Tone scaleA flat Whole Tone scaleA Whole Tone scaleB flat Whole Tone scaleB Whole Tone scale

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C Whole Tone scale on piano shown as colored note dots
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