What Is the Whole Tone Scale, and How Can It Create a Unique Atmosphere in Your Music?

Have you ever wanted your music to sound more open, colorful, or dreamlike? The whole tone scale — made famous by Debussy — can help you create that unique, floating atmosphere. In this post, I’ll show you how this six-note scale can spark your imagination, whether you play piano, compose, or simply love exploring new sounds.

Diana Mascari—Teacher of Piano and Composition

Like the diminished (octatonic) scale, the whole tone scale brings its own distinct musical atmosphere.

My first experience with it came in a college music history class when we studied Debussy. While composers before him experimented with the scale, Debussy used it consistently and intentionally — and its sound became closely associated with the Impressionist style in music.

Think of the Impressionist painters — Monet, Renoir, Pissarro — creating images that feel soft, fluid, luminous, and slightly blurred at the edges. Debussy found a musical equivalent of that texture. The whole tone scale allows you to create music that has that same sense of floating, shimmering color — a sound that is neither major nor minor, but something beautifully in between.This makes the scale particularly useful when you want to create:

• A dreamy or reflective moment

• A sense of mystery or openness

• An atmosphere rather than a strong emotional direction

It is one of the easiest scales to learn — and one of the most expressive.

What Is the Whole Tone Scale?

The word “tone” means “whole step.” The whole tone scale is simply six notes, each one a whole step apart.There are only two whole tone scales:

Whole Tone Scale 1:C – D – E – F♯ – G♯ – A♯ – C(3 white keys + 3 black keys)

Whole Tone Scale 2:D♭ – E♭ – F – G – A – B – D♭(2 black keys + 4 white keys)

Even though they start on different notes, both create the same atmospheric sound.

Playing With the Whole Tone Sound — A Simple Starting Place

Sit at the piano and try this small experiment:

1. Hold C in your left hand (as a bass note).

2. With your right hand, play slowly up and down the C whole tone scale.

You’ll hear space, openness, and movement without tension.

3. You can also play the root and 7th of a dominant 7th chord, and whole tone scale sounds great above it. Play C7 (Root=C & 7th=Bb) and explore the sound of the C whole scale above it. This makes for a great atmospheric introduction to many songs. I've often played the C whole tone scale above and E7 (E + D) as an introduction to Moodlight in Vermont.

Now, try this variation:

• Keep your right hand on the C whole tone scale.

• Change your left-hand bass note from C to D♭.

Just that one-note shift changes the atmosphere — introducing gentle dissonance and a new color.

This shows that you don’t need complexity to create expression.

Using Thirds to Create Melodies

Another wonderful way to explore the whole tone scale is to play 3rds built from the scale:

• C + E

• D + F♯

• E + G♯

• F♯ + A♯

• G♯ + B♯ (C)

Try moving these intervals:

• upward

• downward

• or alternating them for a shimmering, suspended texture
  

  

  When I first explored the whole tone scale at the piano, I quickly wrote a jazz piece called “Whole Tones” and performed it many times with my quartet. It came directly from this kind of 3rd-based exploration.

A Musical Model to Explore

Claude Debussy’s “Voiles” (from Preludes, Book I) is built almost entirely from the whole tone scale.It’s a beautiful example of how limitations can actually lead to creative freedom.

If you listen to it while looking at the score (on YouTube or IMSLP), you’ll notice how Debussy uses color instead of functional harmony to create motion and atmosphere.

🎶 Takeaways

• The whole tone scale creates a floating, atmospheric sound — neither major nor minor.

• There are only two whole tone scales, and they are easy to learn and remember.

• Start by improvising with one bass note and one whole tone scale — no analysis needed.

• Use 3rds from the scale to create expressive, shimmering melodies.

• Listening to Debussy’s Voiles can inspire you to use this sound in your own music.

Ready to Explore New Sounds in Your Own Music?

Whether you’re discovering the magic of the whole tone scale or composing your first original piece, I can help you bring your musical ideas to life.

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About Diana Mascari

American Composer

Jazz Pianist & Author

Teacher of Piano & Composition for Adults

Diana Mascari has spent over 47 years teaching, composing, and performing, helping adult musicians rediscover their creativity and confidence at the piano.Her writing and teaching blend practical skills with a deep understanding of musical imagination — guiding students to create, explore, and enjoy music at every stage of life.

📘 Diana’s new book, Reawakening the Music Within You, invites adults to reconnect with their musical voice and creativity.