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A♭ half-whole diminished Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, Gb, Ab, Bbb, Cb, C, D, Eb at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11

A string: Bbb, Cb, C, D, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bbb at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

D string: D, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bbb, Cb, C, D at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

G string: Ab, Bbb, Cb, C, D, Eb, F, Gb at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11

B string: Cb, C, D, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bbb, Cb at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

High E string: F, Gb, Ab, Bbb, Cb, C, D, Eb at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11

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Ab half-whole diminished

The half-whole diminished scale alternates half and whole steps through eight notes, and is jazz's standard sound over a 13b9 dominant chord: it contains the b9, #9, #11, natural 13 and both chord 3rd and 7th. Because it repeats every minor 3rd, one fingering transposes in minor-3rd jumps, and the same notes serve four different dominant chords.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

A♭

I

B𝄫

bII

C♭

bIII

C

III

D

#IV

E♭

V

F

VI

G♭

bVII

Same notes, different mode

Ab half-whole diminished uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

A diminishedC diminishedEb diminishedGb diminished

half whole diminished in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Play Ab half-whole diminished over a Ab13b9 dominant chord; it contains the b9 (A), #9 (B), natural 13 (F) and both guide tones.
  • Its minor-3rd symmetry means one lick serves four dominant chords: transpose in three-fret jumps.
  • Build lines from the two diminished 7th arpeggios interlocked inside the scale, then resolve to the I chord a 4th up from Ab.
  • Try the classic pattern: half step up, minor 3rd down, repeated through the scale for an instant jazz-fusion sequence.

How to play A♭ half-whole diminished on guitar

Roots land at fret 4 on both E strings; the A string root is fret 11 and the G string root is fret 1. Open A, D and B sit a minor second, an augmented fourth and a minor third above the root, so a pedal tone is not on offer. Capo fret 1 converts G half-whole fingerings to this key, which means one clamp saves the transposition. Position work begins at fret 8.

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