The
Whole
Guitar Neck
Diatonic WHW Tetrachords
All About Our 100% Unique
"Whole-Half-Whole"
Diatonic Tetrachord Diagrams
"Whole-Half-Whole"
Diatonic Tetrachord Diagrams
Available in one of our books, is a set of diagrams that chart the Diatonic scale through the two Tetrachords. We call them the "Whole-Half-Whole" Tetrachord Diagrams; and you will only find them here. We'll explain how they're constructed below.
They Even Cover the Whole Neck in Just Two "Shapes"!
Just the Same as Any Other Complete Scale
This book is built in just the same way as is any other scale: you can consider this book from the very same perspective as the Diatonic, for instance — and the whole scale is charted here. They are provided in every chord and mode; and, they "link together" to cover the whole neck, in just the same way as all of the Diatonic Shapes.
Because there are only two diagrams covering the whole neck, it is also boiled down to just those two Shapes; covering the whole neck, and in every chord and mode. You can also consider that they can be used to approach the whole neck, using only two diagrams to cover it all. There's even an inspiring similarity between the two diagrams: the two full diagrams differ by only one note!
So we'll explain here how they're constructed; they're fundamentally created through two groups of the seven underlying Diatonic Shapes. Note that we expect that you have read through our Introduction, in order to understand everything we're going to illustrate here.
Let's Begin by Noticing Some Facts
We're going to piece together the whole neck here too!
Let's find two anchors for the whole neck: the two Diatonic Half Steps. (Remember that there are only two.) We'll start with the lower tone in each half step.
Let's then look at two moves on the neck: one move down, and one move up. The move down is: from the lower tone in the half step, by that whole step. The move up is: in the half step. That will give us three anchor positions on the neck: one position at each of the three tones in that whole-half that we've just outlined.
We're also going to get two sets of three positions: one set at each of the two whole-half intervals in the scale. So these positions will then be at the Ⅵ-Ⅶ-Ⅰ; and the Ⅱ-Ⅲ-Ⅳ in the scale. Again, those are: the top whole-half intervals, within the two Tetrachords.
Constructing Them Shape-By-Shape
The diagrams to the right illustrate our pair of Tetrachord diagrams; and they align to show you where the two diagrams link together on the neck. Notice that the two diagrams cover the whole neck.
Let's take a look at the whole-half intervals that we've outlined; and, let's look back at the Diatonic Shapes, and see how these tones are covered in those Shapes. We'll just focus on strings 6 & 1 for now.
The two Shapes that are anchored on the lowest tone in the whole-half are: Shape 6; and Shape 2 (which is the bottom fret in each diagram; and, is scale tones Ⅵ and Ⅱ). Both of these shapes finger the lower tone; and, the two tones in the half step, in position (fingers one, three, and four). So each Tetrachord diagram does hold a position that is anchored at that first scale tone.
Now lead up in the whole step. The two Shapes that are anchored on that middle tone in the whole-half are: Shape 7; and Shape 3 (that's at the third fret, and the second scale tone, in each diagram; and is scale tones Ⅶ and Ⅲ). This move also leads to a shape that fingers both half step tones in position (fingers one and two); and, they also finger the next whole tone up, above the half step, in-position; with the fourth finger in that Shape. So each Tetrachord diagram also holds a position that is anchored at that second scale tone.
So: so far, the pair of Shapes at the bottom of the whole-half finger four tones in-position on strings 6 and 1; and we now have two position anchors, at the whole step and the half step.
Moving up in the half step (to the Ⅰ, or the Ⅳ; and the third tone and fourth fret in the diagrams), you move into a Shape with a first-finger stretch. Both of those top Shapes are anchored one fret above the half step; and, the top tone in the half step is played with the first finger from a stretch. (Remember also: you're always moving from the Tetrachord half step into at least two whole tones: one moves into the next Tetrachord; and the other moves into the separating Whole Tone.) So again here, both Tetrachord shapes have a position anchored above the top tone in the half step; and both have a first finger stretch at that position.
This now gives us three position anchors: one at each of the three scale tones in the whole-half intervals. (And that's where the name "Whole-Half-Whole" comes from.)
"6-7-1"
"2-3-4"
The Diatonic Shapes
Since we've used the Diatonic Shapes to construct these Tetrachord Shapes, we'll include the individual Diatonic Shapes below. These are the same Shapes outlined in the introduction.
Shape 6
Shape 7
Shape 1
Shape 2
Shape 3
Shape 4
The Whole Neck!
The above three points have now covered six of the seven shapes; and, the whole neck! It's also musically sound! There are only two half steps in the scale; and the Tetrachords are also quasi-symmetrical: there is only one tone that differs between the pair of three-Shape groups (which each cover eight frets)!
This also points out a unique value in the diagrams: the two diagrams always anchor at the only two half steps in the scale. Notice also that each one does always anchor at the same half step in the underlying scale as well. It's even interesting to note that the single different tone between them is one in a half step as well.
The eight frets in each diagram are nearly identical. You can notice that in addition to the single different tone, the middle Shape in each diagram is fingered with a different stretch. However, you should also notice that the anchor fret is still the same: though Shape 7 stretches with finger one, and Shape 3 stretches with finger four, all three of the fretting positions within these shapes is the same. (It also happens that in both of these shapes, the stretch can be fully omitted except for the duplicate tone on the B string.)
So we've yielded: three parallel anchor positions; and, our Shapes both stretch with the fourth finger on the bottom tone, and the first finger on the top tone. And, the full shapes are all just the same, but one modified tone, at both of the whole-half-whole's on the whole neck.
For completeness here: in the Shape that would lead down from the whole step, to the Tetrachord root in each group; the finger stretch is with the first finger there, from both of these shapes (Shape 5; and Shape 1).
We can even notice that the only difference between each of the parallel individual shapes in both groups is at the single modified tone!
The modified tone is a consequence of where the Whole Tone appears (following one, and leading the other Tetrachord). The scale tones that shift are: in the "6-7-1" it's the Four (all three instances seem to shift down by a half-step, when compared with Shape 2); and in the "2-3-4" it's the Seven (all three up).
"6-7-1"
"2-3-4"
So just to repeat: the pair or eight-fret diagrams only differ by one tone; and cover the whole neck!
These Two Shapes Are Not Hard to Remember
In perspective, these two shapes are also not too hard to ultimately commit to memory! And the two shapes cover the whole neck!
😊
The full value can be had from any approach. That's one reason our books also include very large diagrams.
And So
We have a complete book with our Whole-Half-Whole diagrams: they are laid out in all chords and modes; and all styles for you! They will include our complete method, like all other books too.
(Esoteric fact: they're achieved by omitting the symmetrical Diatonic Shape 5; with the most stretch, and possibly awkward fingerings. It's easy to see the whole tone in the interval shapes, and also in the position Shapes, when you visualize the scale around that tone: e.g. around Diatonic Shapes 4 & 5!)
Right-Handed
Left-Handed