A♭ Whole Tone
Six whole-tone steps — symmetric. Debussy's signature colour; floats without resolving.
Audio source: tonejs-instruments by Nick Brosowsky (MIT)
What notes are in the A♭ Whole Tone scale?
The A♭ Whole Tone scale uses the notes A♭, B♭, C, D, E, F♯ (one octave; the pattern repeats at higher registers).
What's the Whole Tone scale formula?
The Whole Tone scale follows the interval pattern W W W W W W, where W = whole step (2 semitones) and H = half step (1 semitone). Apply that pattern starting on A♭ to get the A♭ Whole Tone scale.
What chords work over A♭ Whole Tone?
Try chord pairings derived from the scale's third, fifth, and seventh degrees as roots — they share the most diatonic notes.
How do I finger A♭ Whole Tone on Piano?
On piano, scales typically use a 1-2-3 / 1-2-3-4 thumb-under pattern for white-key scales. Black-key scales (F♯, G♭, etc.) shift the thumb-under positions onto white keys for ergonomic clearance. Hanon Exercise No. 1 and Czerny Op. 599 No. 1 work through the canonical pattern.
When would I use the Whole Tone scale?
Six whole-tone steps — symmetric. Debussy's signature colour; floats without resolving.