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Whole Tone Scale

A 6-note scale made entirely of whole steps. Completely symmetric — it has no leading tone, no clear tonal center, and an ethereal, floating quality.

dreamyfloatingambiguousimpressionist

Hear the Whole Tone Scale

How to Identify It

Dreamy, floating, and ambiguous — it sounds like it could go anywhere because there's no pull toward any particular note. Used by Debussy for dreamlike passages.

Famous Examples

  • Debussy's Voiles — entirely whole tone
  • Duke Ellington jazz passages
  • Mystery/dream sequences in film scores
Test your earThe recognition trainer plays random scales — identify them with instant feedback.
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Whole Tone in All 12 Keys

CC#D♭DD#E♭EFF#G♭GG#A♭AA#B♭B

Often Confused With

LydianModesThe 4th mode of the major scale. Like major but with a raise…MajorDiatonicThe brightest, most stable scale in Western music. The found…Diminished (H-W)SymmetricAn 8-note symmetric scale alternating half and whole steps. …Diminished (W-H)SymmetricAn 8-note symmetric scale alternating whole and half steps. …

About the Whole Tone Scale

The whole tone scale is a symmetric scale built from the interval pattern 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 (in whole and half steps). A 6-note scale made entirely of whole steps. Completely symmetric — it has no leading tone, no clear tonal center, and an ethereal, floating quality.

To recognise the whole tone scale reliably by ear, focus on its characteristic mood — dreamy, floating, ambiguous, impressionist. Use the player above to hear it in all 12 keys, and the recognition trainer to test yourself against a mixed set of scales.