D Whole toneScale

Formula

W W W W W W 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7
The family

D Whole tone on the chromatic circle

D Whole tone is the 1st mode of the Whole tone family. Pick another note on the circle to open the scale that starts there.

W W W W W W 1 DI Whole tone 2 EII Whole tone 3 F♯III Whole tone ♯4 G♯IV Whole tone ♯5 A♯V Whole tone ♭7 CVI Whole tone D Whole tone
The whole neck

D Whole tone across the fretboard

Every note of the scale up to the 16th fret, named by its degree. The root is a ring. Step through the five CAGED positions one at a time in the scale library.

3 5 7 9 12 15 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7 1 2 3 ♯5 ♭7 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7 1 2 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7 1 2 3
Context

Where D Whole tone fits

Dreamy and unresolved: impressionist music, dream sequences in film and TV, and jazz over 7♯5 chords.

Whole tone scale in every key

D Whole tone scale questions

What notes are in the D Whole tone scale?

D E F♯ G♯ A♯ C. As degrees from the root: 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7.

What is the D Whole tone scale formula?

1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7, or in steps between the notes, W W W W W W (W is a whole step of two frets, H a half step of one fret, 1½ three frets).

How do you play the D Whole tone scale on guitar?

This page draws every note of D Whole tone up to the 16th fret, each named by its degree with the root as a ring. To learn it a few frets at a time, open it in the scale library and step through its five CAGED positions, from the C shape to the A shape to the G shape to the E shape to the D shape.

When is the D Whole tone scale used?

Dreamy and unresolved: impressionist music, dream sequences in film and TV, and jazz over 7♯5 chords.