A Whole Tone Scale on Guitar — 1 Shape to Play the Whole Neck
A Whole Tone is a symmetric scale, built from a repeating interval pattern rather than the uneven step sizes of a traditional major or minor scale — its notes are A B C# D# E# Fx, from the formula 1 2 3 #4 #5 #6. For this root it computes to 1 repeating shape.
A Whole Tone Scale Notes
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | 1 |
| 2 | B | 2 |
| 3 | C# | 3 |
| 4 | D# | #4 |
| 5 | E# | #5 |
| 6 | Fx | #6 |
A Whole Tone Formula
Degree formula: 1 2 3 #4 #5 #6
Whole – Whole – Whole – Whole – Whole – Whole
A Whole Tone on the Guitar Fretboard
The notes of Whole Tone repeat across the guitar fretboard in connected positions. Use the shape below to identify root notes, scale degrees, and neighboring shapes.
- Frets 1–7 (span 6 frets)
- Lowest note A, highest note Fx
- 2 A root notes, on the E string (fret 5), G string (fret 2)
How to practice this shape
- Start on the root — A at fret 5 on the E string. Play up to the highest note in the shape, then back down, staying inside frets 1–7.
- Your hand shifts 4 times as you cross strings: E→A (-1), A→D (-1), D→G (-1), B→E (-1). Those crossings — not the notes — are what this position is really asking you to learn.
- Once it feels automatic, move it up the neck: this scale needs only 1 shape, so the same fingering repeats everywhere.
What Gives A Whole Tone Its Sound?
The characteristic sound of A Whole Tone comes from its no perfect 4th or 5th.
Diatonic chords
These are the 3 chords built from A Whole Tone's own notes — the ones that will sound like they belong when you're writing a progression, backing a melody, or jamming in this key. The Roman numeral shows each chord's role in the key: capital for major, lowercase for minor, ° for diminished, + for augmented. Not every scale produces a clean chord on every degree — where that happens, we show it honestly instead of forcing a name that doesn't fit.
A Whole Tone FAQ
A Whole Tone contains the notes A, B, C#, D#, E#, Fx.
A Whole Tone is built from a repeating interval pattern rather than the uneven step sizes of a major or minor scale.
A Whole Tone's formula is 1 2 3 #4 #5 #6.