About the D Diminished Scale (Half-Whole)
The D diminished scale is a 8-note scale. Symmetric scale alternating half and whole steps, used over dominant 7th chords. Its notes are D, D#, F, F#, G#, A, B and C, built from the formula 1 ♭2 ♭3 3 ♭5 5 6 ♭7.
- Notes
- D – D# – F – F# – G# – A – B – C
- Formula
- 1 ♭2 ♭3 3 ♭5 5 6 ♭7
- Steps
- H W H W H W H W (1–2–1–2–1–2–1–2 semitones)
- Root
- D
D Diminished Scale (Half-Whole) degrees and intervals
| Degree | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | Root |
| ♭2 | D# | Minor 2nd |
| ♭3 | F | Minor 3rd |
| 3 | F# | Major 3rd |
| ♭5 | G# | Tritone (♭5) |
| 5 | A | Perfect 5th |
| 6 | B | Major 6th |
| ♭7 | C | Minor 7th |
Where to play the D Diminished Scale (Half-Whole) on guitar
Frets 0–12 in standard tuning (E A D G B E), lowest string first. Root notes (D) are highlighted; the pattern repeats from the 12th fret up.
| String | Frets |
|---|---|
| E2 | 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 |
| A2 | 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12 |
| D3 | 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 |
| G3 | 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 |
| B3 | 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 |
| E4 | 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 |
How to practice the diminished scale
- Practice the symmetric pattern across strings
- Use over dominant 7♭9 chords
- Work on diminished arpeggio patterns within
- Try jazz fusion-style chromatic lines
- Practice in minor 3rd transpositions (same notes)
Scales with the same notes as D Diminished Scale (Half-Whole)
These scales share every note with the D diminished scale but start from a different root, so the same shapes work over different chords.
Diminished scale in other keys
Other scales in D
- D Minor Pentatonic
- D Major Pentatonic
- D Mixolydian Pentatonic
- D Natural Minor
- D Major (Ionian)
- D Blues
- D Dorian
- D Mixolydian
- D Phrygian
- D Harmonic Minor
- D Lydian
- D Locrian
- D Diminished (Whole-Half)
- D Whole Tone
- D Augmented (Hexatonic)
- D Altered (Super Locrian)
- D Phrygian Dominant
- D Lydian Dominant
- D Mixolydian ♭6 (Hindu)
- D Bebop Dominant
- D Quartal (Stacked 4ths)
- D Quartal Minor (Stacked 4ths)