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