C Six Tone Symmetric Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in Double Drop D tuning — fretboard diagram
C Six Tone Symmetric in Double Drop D — Notes and Intervals
The C Six Tone Symmetric scale is a mathematical abstraction that divides the octave into six equal parts. On Guitar, its notes are C, Db, E, F, G#, A. It lacks a tonic or a home note, making it perfect for modern composers who want to avoid traditional keys and explore total tonal suspension. Commonly used in Contemporary Classical, Experimental, Avant-Garde. Notable players include Bela Bartok, Olivier Messiaen. Use for atonal or polytonal composition. Not chord-specific — this is a tool for breaking free of traditional harmony.
Notes: C, Db, E, F, G#, A
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3M, 4P, 5A, 6M
Degrees: 1 b2 3 4 #5 6
Formula: H-WH-H-WH-H-WH
Number of notes: 6
Tuning: Double Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-D)
About Double Drop D Tuning
Double Drop D tuning (D-A-D-G-B-D) lowers both the 6th and 1st strings from E to D, creating a symmetrical frame of D notes around the standard middle four strings. This gives a distinctly resonant, jangly character that has been beloved in folk-rock and acoustic music since the late 1960s.
Neil Young used Double Drop D extensively — 'Cinnamon Girl' features its distinctive droning riff, and 'The Needle and the Damage Done' showcases its intimate fingerpicking potential. Jimmy Page used it on Led Zeppelin's 'Going to California'. Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain' also employs this tuning. Because only two strings change (both by just one whole step), Double Drop D is one of the easiest alternate tunings to learn — most standard chord shapes on the inner four strings remain unchanged.
Notable artists: Neil Young, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Fleetwood Mac, Crosby Stills Nash & Young
Best for: Folk-rock songwriting, D-centric acoustic arrangements, droning fingerpicking patterns, and any song that benefits from rich D-string resonance on both outer strings
Musical Character
Divides the octave into 6 mathematically equal parts — a scale without a home. Perfect for composers who want to intentionally avoid any tonal center.
Explore This Scale in Other Tunings
- C Six Tone Symmetric in Standard Tuning
- C Six Tone Symmetric in Drop D
- C Six Tone Symmetric in DADGAD
- C Six Tone Symmetric in Open G
- C Six Tone Symmetric in Baritone (B Standard)
- C Six Tone Symmetric in 7-string
- C Six Tone Symmetric in 8-string
- C Six Tone Symmetric in Drop C
- C Six Tone Symmetric in Drop B
- C Six Tone Symmetric in Open D
- C Six Tone Symmetric in Half Step Down
- C Six Tone Symmetric in Open E
- C Six Tone Symmetric in Open A
- C Six Tone Symmetric in Open C