STRINGSCALES

C♯ minor six diminished Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F#, G#, A, A#, B#, C#, D#, E at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

A string: A, A#, B#, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A at frets 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12

D string: D#, E, F#, G#, A, A#, B#, C# at frets 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11

G string: G#, A, A#, B#, C#, D#, E, F# at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11

B string: B#, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, A# at frets 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11

High E string: E, F#, G#, A, A#, B#, C#, D#, E at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

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C# minor six diminished

The minor six diminished scale is Barry Harris's minor sixth diminished scale: a minor 6th chord and a diminished 7th chord interleaved, eight notes alternating chord and tension. Run it and every other note forms the m6 chord, the engine of his harmonic system. It turns a static minor chord into continuous internal motion.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

C♯

I

D♯

II

E

bIII

F♯

IV

G♯

V

A

bVI

A♯

VI

B♯

VII

minor six diminished in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • This is Barry Harris's minor sixth diminished scale: alternate the C#m6 chord tones with the diminished tones as you climb, chord-tone on the beat.
  • Harmonize every scale step as either the m6 chord or the diminished 7th; that alternation is instant movement over a static minor chord.
  • Use both 6ths deliberately: natural 6th (A#) belongs to the m6 sound, flat 6th (A) to the diminished layer passing between V and VI.
  • Over a minor ii-V-i in C# minor, this single scale supplies voice-led chords for the whole bar of tonic minor.

How to play C♯ minor six diminished on guitar

Open low E and high E give the minor third, and open A the minor sixth, so unfretted strings sit under this key without ever stating the tonic. Capo at 1 turns every shape into C minor six diminished, which means a grip you already know covers this key. Six sharps sit in the signature. Roots run 9 on the E strings, 4 on the A, 2 on the B. Fret 13 begins the next position, which means the first box reaches just past the octave.

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