E whole tone scale
Symmetric6 notes · F♯ + G♯ + A♯ + B♯
Ewhole tone
KeyboardRight hand · 1 = thumb
Fingering guideOne octave · both hands
| Hand | E | F♯ | G♯ | A♯ | B♯ | C𝄪 | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1thumb under | 2 | 3 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 22 over | 1 |
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. E whole tone goes W–W–W–W–W–W.
The degrees
Number the notes from the root: 1 E, 2 F♯, 3 G♯, ♯4 A♯, ♯5 B♯, ♯6 C𝄪. The degrees stay the same in every key, so a pattern learned in E works in any other.
The fingering
Right hand: the thumb tucks under onto B♯. Left hand: finger 2 crosses over onto C𝄪. 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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