Chord Colors

G♭ Whole Tone scale
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About the G flat Whole Tone scale

G flat 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 G♭ Prometheus with the sixth lowered.

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

Also called Auxiliary Augmented and Messiaen Mode 1.

Learn more about the G♭ Whole Tone scale

The black keys G♭, A♭, and B♭ belong to the scale. Even so, the raised fourth is the white key C.

Notes and intervals

1GbG♭Root
2AbA♭Major 2nd
3BbB♭Major 3rd
4CCAugmented 4th
5DDMinor 6th
6FbF♭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

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

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Gb Whole Tone scale on piano shown as colored note dots
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