The whole tone or whole-tone scale is a scale of six notes, as indicated by the first name, and away from each other by a tone, hence, the second name we have chosen to use. The British call it "whole tone scales . "
It 'a symmetrical scale in which each note is the tonic of the scale, just because since there is the sequence of tones and semitones as in other scales , missing the relationship to a "fundamental" stable.
Here are some examples:
C: C - D - E - F # - G # - A # - C
D: D - E - F # - G # - A # - C - D
F: F - G - A - B - C # - D # - E # - F
...
There are many examples of use of this wonderful scale, ranging from phrases of Steve Vai, pieces by Claude Debussy and Impressionism in general to the pianists.
Some designs that will help you display the scale on the guitar neck and then some exercises:
And now the positions of the score and tablature and some exercise:
August 19th, 2010 at 14:57
I do not understand when to use these stairs ... I think give great dissonance and still can not play them properly in the phrasing ... when should you use?
August 21st, 2010 at 16:09
Hello, depends very much on the musical context in which you are, we say that in general you can use them on altered chords, however, being very attentive to the tensions ... The scale of his undoubtedly create considerable tensions, tries to resolve them melodically, beginning to use the ladder whole-tone music passages for small ...
August 23rd, 2010 at 11:41
Absolutely agree with Simon, but I also say, from Spain
, Since I'm the author! The whole tone scales, as you can well understand the arrangement of notes in tone, or that are characterized by a tone of constant distance between them, they can refer to any shade ', so every note of the scale is in itself 'a tonal center. The point, as Simon said, is to use these scales to expand the tonal or modal concept to which you are thinking, or take advantage of the tensions that are present in the whole-tone scale in order to enrich the concept you're trying to express in improvisation, starting with short sentences and very melodically and rhythmically resolved.
Let's take an example:
# 11 of Fmajor7 think initially the Lydian scale, ie FGABCDE, we plan to add notes to this using the whole-tone scale whose first note F, ie FGABC # D #, you're playing tonic, ninth, major third, augmented fourth ( already 'in the Lydian mode), augmented fifth, and sixth in excess, are these last two notes, three if you're not playing Lydian, which create a strong tension, but at the same time, if you play with confidence, rhythmic precision, and if followed by a resolution, make it very moving and interesting your phrasing. Spendici a bit 'of time and try to play chords on the fourth maj7 with surplus energy, and also on dominant chords. If it does not sound even write well.
Matthias.