# Half tone whole tone scale



## BaHkaTa (Nov 29, 2008)

can someone give me good shape for this scale ..7 string ofcourse(6 string can be usefull too actually) and some theory for the scale will be good ...i'll be very gratefull =]


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## Trespass (Nov 29, 2008)

Get a nice feel for the scale. You can move around a large variety of ways to get great sounds.

E Half/Whole Tone Scale Shapes

Moving by m3's

e----------------------------
b----------------------------
g----------------------------
d------------------------5-8
a--------------------4-7----
e-0-3-6-9-12----3-6--------

More Clustered 'Run' Type Shapes

e----------------------------------
b----------------------------------
g--------------------------6-7-9/10
d------------------5-6-8/9--------
a----------4-5-7/8------------------
e-3-4-6/7--------------------------

Not to hot on tab, but the / is a slide


Anyways, stuff like that, and doing odd, offtime vibrato (heartbeat vibrato), and emphasizing that m3rd no matter where you are in the scale really adds to the power of it. My favourite scale.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Nov 29, 2008)

I use the second shape there. Easy to find, easy to play. The half-tone whole-tone scale fits nicely into a fully diminished chord. Compare a full diminished arpeggio with that scale:

e-9-12
b-8-11
G-6-9
D-5-8
A-4-7
E-3-6

e-9-10-12-13
b-8-9-11-12
G-6-7-9-10
D-5-6-8-9
A-4-5-7-8
E-3-4-6-7

This is what we call a symmetrical scale. It has no tonal center. Stravinsky and Debussy loved this scale. The effect can be chaotic or dreamlike, depending on how you emphasize it.


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## BaHkaTa (Nov 30, 2008)

nice ..thank you both ..buut can u add the B string to the shapes i actually came up with a shape myself but i want to see more variations


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Nov 30, 2008)

Four notes per string:

e-9-10-12-13
b-8-9-11-12
G-6-7-9-10
D-5-6-8-9
A-4-5-7-8
E-3-4-6-7
B-2-3-5-6

Notice that all you have to do to go to another string is move over a fret (or two when you get to the high B string).

And here's where I disagree with the Grimoire:

Three notes per string:

e-1-3-4
b-2-3-5
G-1-3-4
D-2-3-5
A-2-4-5
E-3-4-6
B-2-3-5-6


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## Stan P (Dec 26, 2008)

SchecterWhore said:


> Four notes per string:
> 
> e-9-10-12-13
> b-8-9-11-12
> ...


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Dec 26, 2008)

You're welcome. I've found that those run-oriented scale shapes are particularly useful for symetrical scales like the whole tone and octatonic (as well as augmented and diminished arpeggios), as you can ascend the scale on one string, and descend the other strings on any fret you want, and still be in the same key.


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## liquidcow (Dec 26, 2008)

I take it you are talking about the diminished scale?

Here's the half-whole version for six string:
|-------------------------------------------------12--|
|----------------------------------------12-14-15-----|
|-------------------------------12-13-15--------------|
|-------------------11-12-14-15-----------------------|
|----------11-13-14-----------------------------------|
|-12-13-15--------------------------------------------|

And here's the whole-half:

|----------------------------------------------11-12--|
|----------------------------------------13-14--------|
|----------------------------11-12-14-15--------------|
|-------------------11-13-14--------------------------|
|----------12-13-15-----------------------------------|
|-12-14-15--------------------------------------------|
Both should be pretty easy to sort out for 7 string I think, though I haven't tried that yet.


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## Stan P (Dec 26, 2008)

SchecterWhore said:


> You're welcome. I've found that those run-oriented scale shapes are particularly useful for symetrical scales like the whole tone and octatonic (as well as augmented and diminished arpeggios), as you can ascend the scale on one string, and descend the other strings on any fret you want, and still be in the same key.




Thats' the key. I kind of got used to playing this scale in a sertain way, like many things.. Now I am at a point of reconsidering my fingering for most scales and arps. I kind off see there are better sounding and more efficient ways to play things then what got used to over the years. I kind of like thre consequent chromatic notes better separated across strings rather than played on the same string. WOrks much faster ... guess because large mechanical movements are easier than small.


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