Whole Tone Patterns

The whole tone or augmented scale is sometimes used to create a “dream-like” sound.

This pattern can be played over any augmented chord. Chord symbols like F+, F7^♯5 and F7^♯11 often suggest a whole tone scale.

Symmetrical

This scale is symmetrical. Every note is a major-second above the last. There are also only two whole-tone scales that exist. The first one includes the whole tone scale built on F, G, A, B, C♯ or D♯. The second would be the whole tone scale built from any other note.

F Whole Tone Scale

G Whole Tone Scale

A Whole Tone Scale

Key Exercises

• Learn, memorize, and apply the scales.
• Create a chord progression that supports the whole-tone scale by using chords built from them. In F, these would include F+, F7^♯5 and F7^♯11, as well as any augmented, 7♯5 or 7♯11 chord whose root is in the scale above. (G+, B+, etc.)
• Improvise using the whole tone scale, at first without any accompaniment.