STRINGSCALES

C half-whole diminished Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F#, G, A, Bb, C, Db, Eb, E at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

A string: A, Bb, C, Db, Eb, E, F#, G, A at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12

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

G string: G, A, Bb, C, Db, Eb, E, F#, G at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

B string: C, Db, Eb, E, F#, G, A, Bb at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11

High E string: E, F#, G, A, Bb, C, Db, Eb, E at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

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C 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:

C

I

D♭

bII

E♭

bIII

E

III

F♯

#IV

G

V

A

VI

B♭

bVII

Same notes, different mode

C 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.

Db diminishedE diminishedG diminishedBb diminished

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

tip
  • Play C half-whole diminished over a C13b9 dominant chord; it contains the b9 (Db), #9 (D#), natural 13 (A) 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 C.
  • Try the classic pattern: half step up, minor 3rd down, repeated through the scale for an instant jazz-fusion sequence.

How to play C half-whole diminished on guitar

Open low E, A, G and high E all sit in this key, so four strings can drone under the shape. Roots sit at fret 8 on both E strings and fret 3 on the A string. Same box covers Eb, Gb and A three, six and nine semitones up, which means one fingering handles four tonics. Box work runs to fret 12.

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