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Fig. 1 · B whole tone · first 12 frets

guitar scale

B whole tone

B1C♯2D♯3E♯♯4F𝄪♯5G𝄪♯6

Six notes, every step a whole one. There are only two of these scales in all, and every note can be heard as the tonic.

on ukuleleon piano

Written out

Fig. 2 · B whole tone, ascending

Every accidental is written in, rather than left to a key signature, so the letters can be read one at a time.

The step pattern

BWC♯WD♯WE♯WF𝄪WG𝄪WB

What is true of it

B whole tone is B, C♯, D♯, E♯, F𝄪 and G𝄪, and back to B.

Its steps are W – W – W – W – W – W, where W is a whole step and H a half.

Written correctly it needs 7 alterations, F𝄪 and G𝄪 among them. That is what the letters force, and it is also why nobody writes music in this key: the same notes spelled from the other side are easier to read.

Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 39 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.

Chords made only of these notes

C♯augaugmentedD♯augaugmentedBaugaugmented

Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 6 sounds, not chosen.

Other scales on B

B diminished (whole–half)symmetricB diminished (half–whole)symmetricB majormajorB natural minorminorB harmonic minorminor

C w.t.C♯ w.t.D♭ w.t.D w.t.D♯ w.t.E♭ w.t.E w.t.F w.t.all 374