About the A#/Bb Diminished Scale (Whole-Half)
The A#/Bb diminished scale is a 8-note scale. Symmetric scale alternating whole and half steps, used over diminished chords. Its notes are A#, C, C#, D#, E, F#, G and A, built from the formula 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7.
- Notes
- A# – C – C# – D# – E – F# – G – A
- Formula
- 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7
- Steps
- W H W H W H W H (2–1–2–1–2–1–2–1 semitones)
- Root
- A#/Bb
A#/Bb Diminished Scale (Whole-Half) degrees and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A# | Root |
| 2 | C | Major 2nd |
| ♭3 | C# | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | D# | Perfect 4th |
| ♭5 | E | Tritone (♭5) |
| ♭6 | F# | Minor 6th |
| 6 | G | Major 6th |
| 7 | A | Major 7th |
Where to play the A#/Bb Diminished Scale (Whole-Half) on bass
Frets 0–12 in standard tuning (E A D G), lowest string first. Root notes (A#) are highlighted; the pattern repeats from the 12th fret up.
| String | Frets |
|---|---|
| E1 | 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12 |
| A1 | 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 |
| D2 | 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 |
| G2 | 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12 |
How to practice the diminished scale
- Learn the repeating 2-fret pattern
- Use over dim7 chords and passing diminished
- Practice diminished 7th arpeggios within scale
- Work on bebop-style enclosures
- Transpose in minor 3rds to see symmetry
Scales with the same notes as A#/Bb Diminished Scale (Whole-Half)
These scales share every note with the A#/Bb diminished scale but start from a different root, so the same shapes work over different chords.
Diminished scale in other keys
Other scales in A#/Bb
- A#/Bb Minor Pentatonic
- A#/Bb Major Pentatonic
- A#/Bb Mixolydian Pentatonic
- A#/Bb Natural Minor
- A#/Bb Major (Ionian)
- A#/Bb Blues
- A#/Bb Dorian
- A#/Bb Mixolydian
- A#/Bb Phrygian
- A#/Bb Harmonic Minor
- A#/Bb Lydian
- A#/Bb Locrian
- A#/Bb Diminished (Half-Whole)
- A#/Bb Whole Tone
- A#/Bb Augmented (Hexatonic)
- A#/Bb Altered (Super Locrian)
- A#/Bb Phrygian Dominant
- A#/Bb Lydian Dominant
- A#/Bb Mixolydian ♭6 (Hindu)
- A#/Bb Bebop Dominant
- A#/Bb Quartal (Stacked 4ths)
- A#/Bb Quartal Minor (Stacked 4ths)