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B♭ half-whole diminished Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F, G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, D, E at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

A string: Bb, Cb, Db, D, E, F, G, Ab at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11

D string: D, E, F, G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, D at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

G string: G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, D, E, F, G at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

B string: Cb, Db, D, E, F, G, Ab, Bb, Cb at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

High E string: E, F, G, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, D, E at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

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Bb 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:

B♭

I

C♭

bII

D♭

bIII

D

III

E

#IV

F

V

G

VI

A♭

bVII

Same notes, different mode

Bb 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.

Cb diminishedD diminishedF diminishedAb diminished

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

tip
  • Play Bb half-whole diminished over a Bb13b9 dominant chord; it contains the b9 (B), #9 (C#), natural 13 (G) 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 Bb.
  • Try the classic pattern: half step up, minor 3rd down, repeated through the scale for an instant jazz-fusion sequence.

How to play B♭ half-whole diminished on guitar

Roots gather at fret 6 on both E strings, fret 1 on the A, fret 3 on the G. A capo at the 1st fret makes this A half-whole, so the fingerings come over intact. Open D and G run a major third and major sixth over the root, and both E strings land on an augmented fourth, which means no open drone survives. Box work carries to fret 10.

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