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B♭ whole tone scale

The B♭ whole tone scale is made of the notes B♭, C, D, E, F♯, A♭. It has 6 notes; compared with the major scale its formula is 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7.

Symmetric · 6 notes

Note names
  1. 1B♭
  2. 2C
  3. 3D
  4. ♯4E
  5. ♯5F♯
  6. ♭7A♭

PatternW – W – W – W – W – W(W = whole step, H = half step)

Built by repeating the same pattern of intervals over and over. Degrees are shown relative to the major scale: ♭3 is the third lowered by a half step, ♯4 the fourth raised.

Mode and chords

Six notes, all a whole step apart: no half steps and no real tonic, so the sound stays floating and dreamy. There are only two whole-tone scales; Debussy used it often, and in jazz it goes over the 7♯5 chord.

Put it into practice

The scale played in thirds over one octave: one of the exercises MEG generates from this scale.

This scale is not part of the demo: in the MEG app you will find it in every key, with 24 patterns.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes of the B♭ whole tone scale?
The notes are B♭, C, D, E, F♯, A♭.
What is the pattern of the B♭ whole tone scale?
The sequence of steps is W – W – W – W – W – W (W = whole step, H = half step); compared with the major scale the degrees are 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♭7.
Which chords is the B♭ whole tone scale used over?
It is used over B♭7♯5, B♭aug: the chords on the tonic made of the notes of the scale.