Scale of the Month – A Whole Tone – March '08

Scale of the Month – March 2008 – A Whole Tone Scale

The Scale

There are many ways in which to play an A Whole Tone scale, but we’ll stick with the 5th fret box position used over the last few months (2 Octaves):

Ascending
E|--------------------------------------------5--7--9-------------------
B|-------------------------------------6--8-----------------------------
G|------------------------------6--8------------------------------------
D|-------------------5--7--9--------------------------------------------
A|-----------6--8-------------------------------------------------------
E|--5--7--9-------------------------------------------------------------

Descending
E|--9--7--5--------------------------------------------------------------
B|------------8--6-------------------------------------------------------
G|---------------------8--6----------------------------------------------
D|-----------------------------9--7--5-----------------------------------
A|---------------------------------------8--6----------------------------
E|----------------------------------------------9--7--5------------------

The Theory

The Whole Tone scale is a hexatonic (6 note) scale where each interval is a whole tone apart – so it's intervallic formula would be 'WWWWWW'. Whole tone runs have a dream like quality, particularly because the triads built on whole scale tones would be augmented (First, Third and sharpened or augmented Fifth). Whole tone scales can be used in many musical situations, but the most common is to place it over altered dominant chords or using it on your tonal centre (Pitch Axis Theory).

Many players use whole tone runs, Joe Satriani being a notable example. Pieces that feature use of the whole tone include 'Fracture' by King Crimson, 'SpaceLab' by Kraftwerk and 'Voiles from Prelude' by Debussy. It is also used extensively in jazz with John Coltrane returning to whole tone and augmented triads time and again.

Some Example licks (Tab symbol key below)

1) Legato (Pick only the first note on each string):

E|----------------------------------------------------------------------5-7-9/11~~---
B|------------------------------------------------6-8-6-----------6-8-----------------
G|-------------------------------------------6-8--------8-6--6-8----------------------
D|--------------5-7-9-7-5-----------5-7-9---------------------------------------------
A|---------6-8-------------8-6--6-8---------------------------------------------------
E|--5-7-9------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2) 3 notes per string – outside the box:

E|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B|------------------------------------------------------------------10-12-14--10h12h14----
G|--------------------------------------------8-10-12--8h10h12----------------------------
D|--------------------------7-9-11--7h9h11-------------------------------------------------
A|--------6-8-10--6h8h10-------------------------------------------------------------------
E|-5-7-9------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3) Augmented Triad Sweeps:

E|-------------------------------------------------------------9--11--------------------13--15--
B|---------6--8-------------------10--12------------------10------12--------------14-----------
G|------6-------8--------------10--------12------------10------------12--------14--------------
D|----7-----------9---------11--------------13------11------------------13--15-----------------
A|--8----------------10--12--------------------14-----------------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4) Tapping to extend the scale:

E|-5h7h9t11p9p7p5----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B|--------------------10p8p6h8h10t12p10p8p6-------------------------------------------------------
G|-------------------------------------------------10p8p6h8h10t12p10p8p6--------------------------
D|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hammer ons: h.
Pull offs: p.
Vibrato: ~.
Bends: b.
Release bend: br.
Tap: t.
Slides: / or \ depending on direction.

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