Songs that use the Whole Tone scale

Рет қаралды 171,388

Күн бұрын

Try Pianote FREE for 30-Days: www.pianote.com/affiliate/dav... 🎹 and consider subscribing to their KZfaq channel: / pianoteofficial 🎼
Sometimes described as the "dream sequence" scale, or the "flash back" scale, the whole tone scale is exactly what it sounds like, a scale made wholey of tones.
Transcriptions by David Hartley. Check out his KZfaq channel here: / davidhartley94
And, an extra special thanks goes to Peter Keller, Douglas Lind, Vidad Flowers, Ivan Pang, Waylon Fairbanks, Jon Dye, Austin Russell, Christopher Ryan, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channel’s Patreon saints! 😇
SUPPORT ME ON PATREON: / davidbennettpiano 🎹
0:00 Introduction
0:35 the "dream sequence" scale
1:03 Examples
1:54 Debussy vs. Tonality
3:18 Mozart's musical "joke"
4:03 there are only 2 unique whole tone scales
5:19 What if we harmonise the scale?
6:20 Pianote
7:17 Robert Fripp
7:44 Stevie Wonder
8:29 Altered chords
11:03 100% whole tone keyboard outro

Пікірлер: 541

@DavidBennettPiano 11 ай бұрын

Try Pianote FREE for 30-Days: www.pianote.com/affiliate/davidbennett 🎹

@j.goggels9115 10 ай бұрын

Voiles, plural, is pronounced as Voilà without the final open [A] sound [ VwAl ] and it means veils or sails.

@jackscovers4586 10 ай бұрын

As a huge pink floyd fan with an interest in music theory, that example from "Dogs" really hit the sweet spot.

@Churro_Flaminguez 10 ай бұрын

As soon as I saw the video's title, I knew Pink Floyd's _Dogs_ would be in there. It's too classic an example not to include given the topic!

@KeithCollyer 10 ай бұрын

Not a whole-tone scale, but Pink Floyd's The Nile Song goes up a whole tone for each verse

@davidf2281 10 ай бұрын

The opening four-chord progression of _Dogs_ is one of my favourite-ever things to play. Such a tonally bonkers song that absolutely works.

@jackscovers4586 10 ай бұрын

@@davidf2281 I play it on piano. It always sounds amazing.

@royalex21 10 ай бұрын

Fun fact: Robert Fripp wrote that opening riff of “Fracture” as a challenge for himself, and he openly admitted to it being impossible to play

@MarceloKatayama 10 ай бұрын

That's quite funny! But I think Fripp stated that Fracture was impossible because of the moto perpetuo, which starts at about 4 minutes into the song IIRC. This moto perpetuo is also in the whole tone scale, I believe.

@David-iv6je 10 ай бұрын

I thought it was the middle portion that was "impossible."

@HoraceMash 10 ай бұрын

Interestingly, “Fracture” is also quite difficult to listen to. Well done Mr Fripp! 🎉

@MarceloKatayama 10 ай бұрын

@@HoraceMash How so? I find it very enjoyable

@arpodyssey7913 10 ай бұрын

Fracture is truly one of the best pieces of all time, in my eyes. Beyond being one of the hardest pieces written for guitar, it’s also just really good. The escalating climax never fails to give me chills

@musicappreciate 10 ай бұрын

I hadn’t made the connection between dream sequences and whole tones until this video. Thank you! For some reason I also make the connection with Mr Rogers’ Neighborhood. I think the opening piano riff when Rogers walks in the door is where it happens.

@musicappreciate 10 ай бұрын

Actually it’s more likely to sound when they go into the neighborhood of make believe

@radiozelaza 10 ай бұрын

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic! The bass in verses climbs in whole tones

@pgrobban 10 ай бұрын

And it's in lydian

@althealligator1467 10 ай бұрын

Yes, but that doesn't really count as the whole tone scale. It's just G lydian, which is just D major. The whole song is diatonic to D major except for that Bb chord at the end of the chorus. You would have to have the augmented fifth, D#, after G, A, B, C#, for it to really count as the whole tone scale.

@PaulSchwarz 10 ай бұрын

i feel like lydian is the "almost" version of the whole tone scale. it still has a sense of wonder and space exploration. not quite the same center of gravity as ionian. "what is life" by george harrison or "atlantis" by donovan come to mind. not 100% dreamy, but still pretty ethereal!

@althealligator1467 10 ай бұрын

@@PaulSchwarz Yeah lydian is whimsical and wondrous. The E.T. soundtrack is full of lydian and it works... uh, wonders.

@drossword 10 ай бұрын

Every mode of the diatonic scale contains four consecutive notes of the whole tone scale. The Lydian is not unique in this respect. It’s just more obvious because they happen to be the first four notes of the scale.

@aaronclift 10 ай бұрын

John Coltrane’s version of “Summertime” (on “My Favorite Things”) is full of whole tone harmony and is an excellent example of how to incorporate that sound into a modal composition.

@Symphonicrockfran 10 ай бұрын

That's my favorite jazz album

@lehipster5450 10 ай бұрын

Mccoy tyner !

@UkuleleAversion 10 ай бұрын

Great shout!

@UkuleleAversion 10 ай бұрын

@@lehipster5450 Yeah, McCoy goes fucking nuclear on that track.

@Freakinawesome333 8 ай бұрын

@@UkuleleAversionAnd Elvin Jones' solo is amazing

@martifingers 10 ай бұрын

As illuminating as ever. The ability to draw examples from so many genres is a true education and an intellectual delight. For me one takeaway was that yet again Stevie Wonder lives up to his name by his creativity and uncanny ability to make the musical innovation accessible.

@ezrac704 10 ай бұрын

"The battle of who could care less" by Ben Folds Five is a great whole tone scale song. It isn't diatonically in the whole tone scale since every chord is major, but every chord is built on a note within the whole tone scale. It's possibly the best use of the whole tone scale that I've ever heard.

@mariesyvian8187 10 ай бұрын

I was gonna mention that. great song.

@clintonwilcox4690 10 ай бұрын

Oh, excellent. That's one of my favorite Ben Folds compositions, and I'm actually learning it to play live at some point. That's a good tidbit to know.

@tswizz4268 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for this recommendation. I checked that song out and now I'm upset I didn't know about Ben Folds earlier but so glad I know about him now

@dynaboyjl.4220 10 ай бұрын

Love that song!

@ezrac704 10 ай бұрын

@@tswizz4268 Glad to hear that :) He is certainly underrated and very talented.

@Iconoplastt 10 ай бұрын

David, I've been a subscriber for a long time and must say your clear presentation and knowledge is great, have a great day!

@Baldbutstillhuman 10 ай бұрын

Such an underrated channel! You deserve more views!

@musachi5999 10 ай бұрын

Once I heard the example of Debussy it suddenly hit me that some of Zelda BOTW’s Hyrule field music is based in the whole tone scale. I could be wrong but it really does have a similar feel and sound. I love hearing these examples and recognising the similarities between music I listen to and actually knowing what it is they share in common and that certain scales or keys are the reason why. I really must thank you David 🙏

@stoatystoat174 10 ай бұрын

Never really thought about the dream/flashback/wholetone scale before but now i would recognize it instantly, good choice of subject :)

@chameleon-dream-band-official 10 ай бұрын

The creepy mid-section of Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden is based around the Whole Tone scale 👍

@wbertie2604 10 ай бұрын

I lack the skills to determine if that's also true of the David Bedford version which also has a creepy middle section

@mattster693 10 ай бұрын

with augmented chords on bass! i love that part

@SuperJorge79 10 ай бұрын

Also, in addition to the dream sequences, the whole tone scale is often used in movies and TV as an audio cue when a character descends with a submarine into the depths of the ocean

@AlyraMoondancer 10 ай бұрын

The theme song for Astro Boy begins with a whole tone scale as introduction. Great video as always, David!

@lotus8key 10 ай бұрын

Cardiacs song 'The Obvious Identity' is a great punk song entirely constructed with the whole tone scale!

@augustinberthiaume9977 10 ай бұрын

In «Histoire sans paroles» from the French Canadian band Harmonium, the whole tone scale is used.

@Blockoumi 10 ай бұрын

Harmonium is one of the greatest bands ever but never get mentioned

@ChrisGarmon 10 ай бұрын

So happy to see "Dogs" included here! Always loved that part but never knew why it sounded so strange until a few months ago when I first learned about the whole tone scale.

@richlobato8664 10 ай бұрын

Kraftwerk's " Spacelab" was the 1st song that i thought of when I heard the scale. Got that LP in 1979 and listened to it a million times. Good memories.

@brandonvalentine2555 10 ай бұрын

This channel seriously helps my ear as a musician. Thank you for what you do

@ldgaming4213 10 ай бұрын

I think this list would be incomplete without 'the battle of who could care less' by Ben folds five. It's almost completely based upon the scale and has a really unique sound!

@obahrey5197 10 ай бұрын

You have no idea how happy I am to see Robert Fripp get mentioned on this list! Fracture is so difficult to play on the guitar.

@JazzGuitarScrapbook 10 ай бұрын

Good catch with the Floyd example. Completely forgot about that moment.

@andrewpappas9311 10 ай бұрын

I was just learning the solo from Dogs a couple of weeks ago and didn’t realize it was a whole tone scale until now, only Gilmour can come up with something like that and I love it

@villehytonen7279 10 ай бұрын

And now I finally know why that part sounds do special.

@MarceloKatayama 10 ай бұрын

@@villehytonen7279 Besides the use of the whole tone scale, I think it is very ear catching because the guitar is doubled with another guitar playing on another octave.

@StephenMarkTurner 10 ай бұрын

The intro to "I Can Help" by Billy Swan uses little aug triads that descend a tone at a time, spelling a whole tone scale.

@Bryzerse 10 ай бұрын

Just based on my memory, I think that one of Holst's planets uses this scale, and perhaps also some of the music from Angry Birds Space. It does fit a very spacey atmosphere!

@ArbeiterInnenlieder 10 ай бұрын

It's the planet (1st movement, Mars, Bringer of War) that also was cites heavily in the middle part of Leaving Home Ain't Easy by Queen off the great Jazz album, fittingly wirtten by astrophysicist Brian May.

@joermnyc 10 ай бұрын

Mark Snow used both Whole Tone scales in some of the background music for episodes of The X-Files.

@dampersand 10 ай бұрын

Before I started watching I picked up my guitar to see what the whole tone scale sounded like and I immediately thought of King Crimson's Fracture. Glad to see that it made an appearance in the video too!

@seldonsinq 10 ай бұрын

The middle section of Gentle Giant’s The House, The Street, The Room is a chord sequence in the whole tone scale

@themar.i.per3374 10 ай бұрын

i was always fascinated with the whole tone scale. im glad you made a full video about it .

@NBrixH 10 ай бұрын

Gilmour! My man!

@mason87104 10 ай бұрын

Thanks David! That is the most useful description of the wholetone scale I have seen.

@bymovingimages 10 ай бұрын

Your ability to explain things has steadily gotten much much better, great work

@robster7316 10 ай бұрын

Wonderful explanation of the whole tome scale and how it is used. Thank you, David!

@patrick4384 10 ай бұрын

I'm glad you included Juju, I love that tune! One of my favorites is the Chamber of Sages music from LOZ: Ocarina of Time. There are also countless examples of the scale being used in Frank Zappa's catalogue.

@ManyNoses 10 ай бұрын

Also from OOT is the treasure chest open theme, I believe that may also use this scale

@disonantedsi 10 ай бұрын

Cardiacs music is a very good example of whole tone melodies

@Elvar360 10 ай бұрын

100%, this scale is one of my go tos when i want to sound like them(the other one being: play random chords until something sounds not wrong lol)

@MrLuigiFercotti 10 ай бұрын

Great vid David. It's gold when learning something new and you then get the "oh, that's why that sounds that way."

@hhpoa 10 ай бұрын

Very interesting and well planned lesson. Congratulations!

@IcaroTurci 10 ай бұрын

Jorge do Fusa, by Brazilian guitar composer Garoto uses a descendant Whole Tone Scale in a 32nd note (fusa in Portuguese) passage. The style of the piece is choro, a tradicional Brazilian genre.

@jimmrvos2930 10 ай бұрын

Very interesting David! I really appreciate your discussion of altered chords and why the whole tone scale fits over them. I’ve never really understood either of these concepts and you provided great insight into both. Thanks!

@composer7325 10 ай бұрын

Excellent video, thank you ,David.

@tiltman_420 10 ай бұрын

I've started my music production journey almost 2 years ago. At nearly 30, and making a career jump from aerospace engineering into music, finally got a position in sound design. I've been using your videos for reference and it's really elevated my musical choices. Thanks David, you a real one.

@cakemartyr5794 10 ай бұрын

Great stuff. You always give me ideas and inspire me to explore. Good to see both Kraftwerk and King Crimson feature.

@daveandrew589 10 ай бұрын

I never fail to learn something from these videos. Well done!

@jaschul 10 ай бұрын

Jazz since the bebop days has altered chords galore. Usually played with the altered scale.

@christopherfryda 10 ай бұрын

I absolutely love this channel!

@davegarski1548 10 ай бұрын

Excellent lesson! I will use this in my guitar lessons. I'm sure it will interest a few of my students.

@vallejodroning9578 10 ай бұрын

been waiting for this one

@yepaxle1111 10 ай бұрын

One obscure example I have is a song called “Trippolette” by Andi Buch. It’s a hidden song from the 2005 PS2 game Guitar Hero that at certain points, uses the whole note scale.

@mannkejns4355 10 ай бұрын

The entire outro of the song "The Breakfast Line" by Cardiacs is just the whole tone scale, but it changes keys between the two whole tone scales. It could be thought of as chromatic since it uses all 12 notes, but that's not how it sounds, so it wouldn't really make sense to think of it that way

@rosalinddavies8466 10 ай бұрын

Beautiful scale

@boomerbear7596 10 ай бұрын

Nice video! I was so hoping "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" was here as the song was actually playing in my head this morning as I was taking in the summer sun.

@davidfsnyder 10 ай бұрын

Great job on the presentation and on explaining the theory simply.

@althomas6045 10 ай бұрын

7:22 reminds me of heart of the sunrise by yes and almost anything by les claypool.

@zzzaphod8507 10 ай бұрын

From piano practice books for kids, there's "Storms on Saturn" (Faber Piano book 2, as I recall) in the whole tone scale. This is a 1-minute piece, not complicated, but does have the whole tone scale in the beginning and videos of people playing it available on KZfaq.

@777heleen 9 ай бұрын

'Lost in the Misty Woods' by Gareth Coker (Ori and the Blind Forest soundtrack) is in the while tone scale. This is the song where I heard this mystical sound for the first time. I discovered the pattern of the notes they used on the piano and was amazed

@marianogringaus 2 ай бұрын

Genius!!! You are a TEACHER! Love!

@tomas-wi8dy 10 ай бұрын

thank you!

@adamguitar1498 10 ай бұрын

You have to do a video on Stevie Wonders "Too High" Right from the very start we have a vamp, then this floaty melody using the chromatic scale. A chorus that utilizes the whole scale for its melody, and a diatonic verse. It has everything!

@ric8248 10 ай бұрын

The Simpsons Theme by Danny Elfman is full of whole tone scales played very fast. Also, Jazz Thieves by Depeche Mode features a xylophone that sounds like it's definitely using the whole tone scale.. I may be wrong but at least it sounds similar.

@pulykamell 10 ай бұрын

It's lydian dominant, (raised fourth and flatted seventh). It's a little different as it's got a natural fifth and sixth, and is heptatonic (seven note) as opposed to hexatonic (6-note, like the whole note scale.) The #4 and b7 do get it sounding a bit whole-tone-ish, but it's a little different as there are half-step movements in it (from the #4 to the 5, for example), while the smallest interval in whole tone is a whole step.

@ric8248 10 ай бұрын

@@pulykamell nah, you are right but you are refering to the main theme, whereas l was talking particularly about these very rapid scales that appear every so often, and they are in the whole tone scale, check again

@gastonpiget1034 10 ай бұрын

Thanks. Nicely informative.

@DavidBennettPiano 10 ай бұрын

Thank you 😊

@christopherjobin-official7440 10 ай бұрын

OH MY GOD YOU DID IT! YOU MENTIONED KING CRIMSON! YES!!! FINALLY!!! Seriously, this makes me so happy. This doesn't fix the years of neglect you (and every other music theory youtuber) has shown them, but it's a step in the right direction.

@mikedonoghues4018 10 ай бұрын

I think David referenced “Red” in a previous video. But, to be fair, lots of viewers won’t know their work and I think it’s still very problematic to use their tracks here on KZfaq. But, you’re right, it’s good to see reference to them given their influence and their use of atypical musical devices.

@eduardus4e 10 ай бұрын

@@mikedonoghues4018 Do you know which video?

@mikedonoghues4018 10 ай бұрын

@@eduardus4e I’m sorry, I can’t remember. Pretty sure it was one about modes. Not much help, I’m afraid.

@eduardus4e 9 ай бұрын

@@mikedonoghues4018 i've watched all the modes ones and I didn't see it :(

@colinburgess7728 7 ай бұрын

great video as usual, especially your clarification of an alt chord being just the 5th raised or lowered by a semitone.

@briangallagher2918 9 ай бұрын

Great video 👍

@MorNaamanGuitarist 10 ай бұрын

Amazing content thanks ❤

@greatscott175 10 ай бұрын

Ben Folds Five and Battle of Who Could Care Less. Perfect example of how to make a great pop song with whole tone scale.

@benkazel 10 ай бұрын

Rest in power Wayne Shorter, one of the best to ever do it

@pequalsa 10 ай бұрын

Back in the late 90s I composed a song with dice for a college math class. I used Whole Tone since having 6 notes it matched 6 sides of standard dice. The professor liked it a bumped me up a letter grade. I later did a follow-up project for a statistics class using Excel, with goal of making a more melodic randomly generated song than the previous "Dice".

@charlespark490 8 ай бұрын

whole tone is used in the following songs: "in the future" by Sparks "Elektrik", one more red nightmare" and "fracture" by King Crimson "Mrs O'leary's Cow" by Beach Boys "The Barbarian" and "The Three Fates" by Emerson Lake and Palmer "Dogs" by Pink Floyd "Octavarian" Dream theater "Deliverance" Opeth "i am the walrus" beatles (descending whole tone scale) ...and a million other openings to themes and songs opening to "astro boy" theme.

@alexmckenzie8491 10 ай бұрын

That was interesing, thank you. At last I understand exactly what an altered chord is.

@blackcitadel37 10 ай бұрын

I remember being used in videogame soundtracks too. In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, when you are transforming into one of the temporary stage vehicles (digger, helicopter, car, etc), this scale is used in the first half of the song.

@megaohmaudio5963 10 ай бұрын

Your ending piece really brought Gamelan music/sounds to mind. Very interesting!

@AidanEyewitness 10 ай бұрын

Another brilliant exposé on something I know - for instance in 'Sunshine of Your Love' - but never really thought about. I think the Debussy piece is pronounced / vwal / (I teach languages!) Many thanks, informative, educational and thought-provoking as ever,

@HaharuRecords 7 ай бұрын

Pianote guys are amazing.🙏

@gerardnicolau9997 10 ай бұрын

There’s an ascending whole tone scale at the end of improvisation no.2 which I just love 😊

@katherineheasley6196 10 ай бұрын

You played the scale at the beginning, and I was like, "I feel a dream sequence coming on!"

@jazzbass5883 10 ай бұрын

In the Light, by Led Zeppelin. Just before Robert Plant sings "and if you feel....", there is a whole-tone walk-up, in thirds, ending on an A and C#. This walk-up occurs ten times between 1:40 and 2:45.

@michaelfowler3187 10 ай бұрын

Immediately reminded me of the ascending notes in The Shinra Tower sequence of final fantasy 7- it had a very dreamy and intriguing sound against a descending background pattern- lovely

@axlhyvonen461 10 ай бұрын

I love it and not least because of the fact, that it taught me something new😊😊

@laszlototh3348 10 ай бұрын

Did anyone mention Brian Auger's Total Eclipse from 1971? I really liked Auger and when this track came out I tried to play it on the piano. Then I discovered that both the theme and the guitar solo are based on whole notes. I still love it today. It is no coincidence that this recording is also space music, setting a solar eclipse to music. Check it out, am I not wrong?

@ecxgajs 10 ай бұрын

Freddie Hubbards solo on hat and beard by Eric Dolphy uses the whole tone scale eerily well.

@KI2LA 10 ай бұрын

thx... you deserve more than 800k subscriber! like this content

@DavidBennettPiano 10 ай бұрын

Thank you! 😊

@welcometonebalia 10 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@evanderdanielmontero7834 10 ай бұрын

Nice Video 👌👌

@SuperJorge79 10 ай бұрын

In 1982 Tron's OST, Wendy Carlos uses the whole tone scale a lot. Like in "The light sailer" or "Tron scherzo". It helps bringing up the weirdness of the artificial "inside the computer" world

@scottbrockman5883 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for this video on KZfaq of the "Whole tone scale" and how they are used. The only "whole tone scale" that I remember listening is in the key of E as played as the E Whole tone scale.

@alexandertarerauto 10 ай бұрын

Hearing the whole tone scale reminds me of the golden escalator of heaven scene from Tom And Jerry "Heavenly Puss" episode.

@MARIO-uf1no 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for the Dogs reference. I love all of David Gilmour's guitar work, but that little solo at the end of the song has always caught my attention. Now I know what he's using to get that ear twisting sound!

@evansakesat2776 10 ай бұрын

Great video, David…I’m sure someone’s probably mentioned the intro of Billy Swan’s ‘I Can Help’ in the comments. That’s the first time I ever noticed (and worked out) a harmonised whole tone sequence (and in a ‘country’ song too) 😊🎶

@joernbeineke 10 ай бұрын

... great vid and great channel ... nice combination of music theory and its practical use ... very similar to the way I integrated theory into my music lessons during my time as a music teacher at a german highschool :)

@DavidBennettPiano 10 ай бұрын

Thank you 😀

@ronaninkster32652 10 ай бұрын

“Our Man Higgins” has a lot of whole tone harmony and melody going on, it switches from being a whole tone Bb blues to being a standard Bb blues, also thanks for the Kraftwerk inclusion, they’re one of my favourite bands of all time!

@TheAngelsHaveThePhoneBox 10 ай бұрын

The opening to "You Only Live Twice" feels to me like it's in a whole tone scale. Even though it doesn't use all the notes (only 4 in different octaves), I can't seem to find any other scale that would fit it.

@asfdirt 10 ай бұрын

Nice videoo!! super-interesting topic. I would like to see one covering double sharps an and double flats. I have never found a good couple of examples of these

@atomicchanteuse5095 8 ай бұрын

Intro to k. d. lang's Smoke Dreams... Scrumptious!

@ACCPhil 10 ай бұрын

OK, the thing that always gets me is halfway through the 2nd movement of the Berg violin concerto where he quotes from the Bach chorale with the opening notes of the whole-tone scale. Which is also a callback to the original tone row from the start of the piece. You would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by that

@rhtranscriptions9665 10 ай бұрын

It's probably worth pointing out that at least in a Jazz context, whole-tone chords (as in Juju) and altered chords are very different things. Altered chords would be built from the 7th degree of melodic minor rather than from the whole-tone scale.

@andrewgilman8835 4 ай бұрын

Check out Rockabilly Rudolph by Brian Setzer. The solo section of the guitar and horn section does a really cool integration of the whole tone scale. Adds the spice to the song.

@jons_7402 10 ай бұрын

One great use of the Whole Tone scale I can think of is the Mt. Moon track from the Pokémon R/G/B game. It uses it to create this mysterious and uneasy feel for when you're traversing the caves hoping to not run into any more Zubats.