D♯ Whole Tone at a glance
Whole tone is symmetrical, dreamlike and slightly disorienting. Debussy used it for impressionistic colour, jazz players throw it over altered dominant chords. Built on the root D♯, the scale takes on the specific colour and pitch range of that key - making it especially useful in genres and registers where D♯ is a comfortable tonal centre.
| Notes | D♯ E♯ F𝄪 G𝄪 A𝄪 B𝄪 |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1P · 2M · 3M · 4A · 5A · 6A |
| Step pattern | W W W W W W |
D♯ Whole Tone on the piano
Improvisation drone · D♯
Loop the root note as a pad to practice improvising over this scale.
On the piano D♯ Whole Tone uses two black keys (D♯ and B𝄪) and four white. E♯, F𝄪, G𝄪 and A𝄪 are the white keys you'd normally call F, G, A and B.
D♯ · E♯ · F𝄪 · G𝄪 · A𝄪 · B𝄪
Play D♯ Whole Tone on the online piano
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D♯ Whole Tone on the guitar
D♯ Whole Tone - fr 0–12
D♯ Whole Tone on the staff
Notes of the D♯ Whole Tone scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D♯ | unison1P | 0 | |
| 2 | E♯ | major 2nd2M | 2 | |
| 3 | F𝄪 | major 3rd3M | 4 | |
| 4 | G𝄪 | augmented 4th4A | 6 | |
| 5 | A𝄪 | augmented 5th5A | 8 | |
| 6 | B𝄪 | augmented 6th6A | 10 |
What makes D♯ Whole Tone different
The whole-tone scale has six notes, each a whole step from the next, so it has no half steps, no perfect fifth and no leading tone. Because every step is the same size, there are only two different whole-tone scales: every one of them uses the notes of either the scale on C or the scale on C♯. Every triad built from it is augmented, which gives it its floating, dream-sequence sound. It fits dominant chords with a raised fifth and a ♯11, and Debussy made it famous.
How to use the D♯ Whole Tone scale
Because D♯ Whole Tone has fewer or more than seven notes, it doesn't produce a standard set of seven diatonic triads. Instead, build chords by stacking thirds within the scale or use it as a melodic colour over chords drawn from a related diatonic key.
Whole tone is symmetrical, dreamlike and slightly disorienting. Debussy used it for impressionistic colour, jazz players throw it over altered dominant chords.
Practice tips
Because whole-tone is symmetric, you can transpose any phrase by a whole step and it still fits. Perfect for fast, fluid runs.
Formula & step pattern
The D♯ Whole Tone scale follows six notes spaced one whole step apart, with no half steps anywhere. Step pattern: W - W - W - W - W - W. Intervals from the root: 1P · 2M · 3M · 4A · 5A · 6A. Memorising the formula lets you transpose the scale to any other root note quickly.
Where you will hear D♯ Whole Tone
Start with the music described above: listen for D♯ Whole Tone in it and transcribe a few short phrases by ear. It's the quickest way to learn how the scale sounds.
Questions people ask
What notes are in the D♯ Whole Tone scale?
The D♯ Whole Tone scale contains D♯, E♯, F𝄪, G𝄪, A𝄪 and B𝄪.
What is the formula for the D♯ Whole Tone scale?
D♯ Whole Tone follows six notes spaced one whole step apart, with no half steps anywhere.
Is D♯ Whole Tone a major or minor scale?
D♯ Whole Tone is a whole tone scale. All whole steps - symmetric, dreamlike and famously used by Debussy and on dominant chords.
What chords belong to the D♯ Whole Tone scale?
D♯ Whole Tone doesn't produce a standard seven-chord diatonic set. Use chords from a related diatonic scale instead.
Which genres use D♯ Whole Tone?
Whole tone is symmetrical, dreamlike and slightly disorienting. Debussy used it for impressionistic colour, jazz players throw it over altered dominant chords.
How do you play the D♯ Whole Tone scale on the piano?
On the piano D♯ Whole Tone uses two black keys (D♯ and B𝄪) and four white. E♯, F𝄪, G𝄪 and A𝄪 are the white keys you'd normally call F, G, A and B.
How do I practise the D♯ Whole Tone scale?
Because whole-tone is symmetric, you can transpose any phrase by a whole step and it still fits. Perfect for fast, fluid runs.