A Diminished Scale (Half-whole) on Guitar
The A Diminished Scale (Half-whole) is a 8-note scale (over 7♭9 dominant chords) built from the formula 1 ♭2 ♯2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7. Its notes are A B♭ B♯ C♯ D♯ E F♯ G. Below you'll find the scale on the whole fretboard and related scales — open it in the interactive fretboard for 3NPS, CAGED and pentatonic box patterns with playback.
Notes and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | root |
| ♭2 | B♭ | Minor 2nd |
| ♯2 | B♯ | Augmented 2nd |
| 3 | C♯ | Major 3rd |
| ♯4 | D♯ | Augmented 4th (tritone) |
| 5 | E | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | F♯ | Major 6th |
| ♭7 | G | Minor 7th |
Steps: H – W – H – W – H – W – H – W (W = whole step, H = half step)
A Diminished Scale (Half-whole) on the fretboard (15 frets)
Standard tuning E A D G B E. Pink = root, purple = characteristic notes. 3NPS, CAGED and box patterns plus other tunings are in the interactive fretboard.
Other scales from A
- Ionian (Major)
- Dorian
- Phrygian
- Lydian
- Mixolydian
- Aeolian (Minor)
- Locrian
- Major pentatonic
- Minor pentatonic
- Blues
- Major blues
- Harmonic minor
- Locrian ♮6
- Ionian ♯5
- Dorian ♯4
- Phrygian dominant
- Lydian ♯2
- Superlocrian 𝄫7
- Melodic minor
- Dorian ♭2
- Lydian augmented
- Lydian dominant
- Mixolydian ♭6
- Locrian ♮2
- Altered (Superlocrian)
- Whole tone
- Diminished (half-whole)
- Diminished (whole-half)
Diminished (half-whole) in other keys
FAQ
- What notes are in the A Diminished Scale (Half-whole)?
- The A Diminished Scale (Half-whole) has 8 notes: A, B♭, B♯, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G. Its formula is 1 ♭2 ♯2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7.
- What intervals make up the A Diminished Scale (Half-whole)?
- Step pattern: H – W – H – W – H – W – H – W (W = whole step, H = half step). Intervals from the root: ♭2 (Minor 2nd), ♯2 (Augmented 2nd), 3 (Major 3rd), ♯4 (Augmented 4th (tritone)), 5 (Perfect 5th), 6 (Major 6th), ♭7 (Minor 7th).