A Whole Tone Banjo 5 String Scale — Standard (Open G)
Banjo 5 String scale in Standard (Open G) tuning — fretboard diagram
A Whole Tone in Standard (Open G) — Notes and Intervals
The A Whole Tone scale, also known as Messiaen's Mode of Limited Transposition #1, is a perfectly symmetrical scale that lacks a tonal center, creating a sense of weightlessness and blur. On Banjo 5 String, it contains the notes A, B, C#, D#, F, G. It divides the octave into six equal whole steps, meaning only two unique whole tone scales exist. Popularized by Claude Debussy and used extensively in film scores, it evokes impressionistic, dreamlike atmospheres where no single note feels like home. Use it over augmented triads and 7#5 chords for a floating, surreal effect. Commonly used in Impressionist, Film Scores, Jazz, Ambient, Experimental. Notable players include Claude Debussy, Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, Joe Satriani. Use over augmented triads, 7#5 chords. Perfect for dream sequences, transitions, and any moment where tonality should dissolve.
Notes: A, B, C#, D#, F, G
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 4A, 5A, 6A
Degrees: 1 2 3 #4 #5 #6
Formula: W-W-W-W-W-W
Number of notes: 6
Tuning: Standard (Open G) (G-D-G-B-D)
Also known as: messiaen's mode #1
About Standard (Open G) Tuning
The 5-string banjo is tuned to an open G chord (g-D-G-B-D), with the distinctive 5th string — a short drone string that starts at the 5th fret. This unique design creates the banjo's signature sound: bright, ringing open strings that sustain over rapid three-finger picking patterns (rolls). The open G tuning means simply strumming produces a full G major chord.
Earl Scruggs revolutionized banjo playing in the 1940s with his three-finger picking style, creating the driving rhythmic sound that defines bluegrass. Béla Fleck later pushed the banjo into jazz, classical, and world music territories. The 5th string drone is what makes the banjo unique among fretted instruments — it provides a constant high G pedal tone that rings through every roll pattern, creating the instrument's hypnotic, cascading sound. In clawhammer (old-time) style, the 5th string serves as a rhythmic thumb drone between downstrokes.
Notable artists: Earl Scruggs, Béla Fleck, Tony Trischka, Noam Pikelny, Ralph Stanley
Best for: Bluegrass rolls, clawhammer old-time, folk fingerpicking, and any style that benefits from the banjo's distinctive ringing drone