D whole tone scale
Symmetric6 notes · F♯ + G♯ + A♯ + B♯
Dwhole tone
KeyboardRight hand · 1 = thumb
Fingering guideOne octave · both hands
| Hand | D | E | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B♯ | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 2 | 1thumb under | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1thumb under | 2 |
| Left hand | 2 | 1 | 44 over | 3 | 2 | 1 | 22 over |
Chords in the key
Stacking every other note of the whole-tone scale only gives augmented chords: every step is the same, so every chord is too.
How to read a scale
Steps, degrees, fingers.
The step pattern
Every scale is a pattern of whole and half steps. D whole tone goes W–W–W–W–W–W.
The degrees
Number the notes from the root: 1 D, 2 E, 3 F♯, ♯4 G♯, ♯5 A♯, ♯6 B♯. The degrees stay the same in every key, so a pattern learned in D works in any other.
The fingering
Right hand: the thumb tucks under onto E, then the thumb tucks under onto B♯. Left hand: finger 4 crosses over onto F♯, then finger 2 crosses over onto D. Practise the crossings slowly; once they're smooth, raise the tempo.
All 216 scales
Every scale and mode on every root, each with its own page.
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
Practise it on a real keyboard.
Plug in a MIDI keyboard: the Melodio app shows every scale with its fingering and chords, and names what you play. Free, offline.
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