Bb Whole Tone

The scale displayed with its numeric formula, notes and intervals.

Formula	Notes	Intervals
1	Bb	Unison
2	C	Major second
3	D	Major third
#4	E	Augmented fourth
#5	Gb	Augmented fifth
b7	Ab	Minor seventh

The B flat Whole Tone scale consists of six notes. The name is reflected by the notes that keeps the same distance of one tone between every scale step. It is organized on the guitar fingerboard in steps as whole, whole, whole, whole, whole, whole.
This scale is also called B flat Augmented scale because it is constructed by including both an augmented fourth and an augmented fifth.
Related to this scale is the B flat Diminished Whole Tone scale which include seven notes instead of six (see the Related scales tab below).

This scale is typically played over a dominant alternate chord.
A feature of a symmetrical scale is overlapping note relationships and there are only two possible transpositions for this scale. The Bb Whole Tone has the same notes as C Whole Tone, D Whole Tone, E Whole Tone, Gb Whole Tone and, Ab Whole Tone.

Chords with matching notes are especially augmented and alternated chords:

• Bbaug
• Bb7b5
• Bb7#5
• Caug
• C7b5
• C7#5
• Daug
• D7b5
• D7#5
• Eaug
• E7b5
• E7#5
• Gbaug
• Gb7b5
• Gb7#5
• Abaug
• Ab7b5
• Ab7#5

Although the tones in these chords correspond to the tones of the Bb Whole Tone, creating progressions with these chords will seldom sound pleasant. Notice that the seventh sharp fifth also can be spelled augmented 7th.

Related to this scale is the Bb Diminished Whole Tone scale, also called Bb Dominant Altered or Bb Super Locrian. The Diminished Whole Tone include seven notes instead of eight as in the Whole Half Diminished. Also, the intervals differ. It can be displayed as follows:

Formula	Notes	Intervals
1	Bb	Unison
b2	B	Diminished second
#2	C#	Augmented second
3	D	Major third
b5	E	Diminished fifth
#5	F#	Augmented fifth
b7	Ab	Minor seventh

Start the audio and play along with your guitar! Use notes from the scale in the diagram above.

Normal tempo: Slow tempo: