In
music, a
whole tone scale is a
scale in which each
note is separated from its neighbors by the
interval of a
whole step. There are only two complementary whole tone scales, both six-note or
hexatonic scales:
The whole tone scale has no
leading tone and because all tones are the same distance apart, "no single tone stands out, [and] the scale creates a blurred, indistinct effect". This effect is especially emphasized by the fact that
triads built on such scale tones are
augmented. Indeed, one can play all six tones of a whole tone scale simply with two augmented triads whose roots are a major second apart. Since they are
symmetrical, whole tone scales do not give a strong impression of the
tonic or
tonality.