STRINGSCALES

D diminished Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

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

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

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

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

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

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

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D diminished

The diminished scale (the whole-half diminished scale) alternates whole and half steps through eight notes. It serves fully diminished 7th chords, and its minor-3rd symmetry means fingerings repeat every three frets: learn one octave and you own the neck. Jazz and classical writing both exploit its ability to spiral tension upward before resolving.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

D

I

E

II

F

bIII

G

IV

A♭

bV

B♭

bVI

B

VI

C♯

VII

Same notes, different mode

D 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.

E half-whole diminishedG half-whole diminishedBb half-whole diminishedC# half-whole diminished

diminished in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • This is the whole-half diminished scale: run it over a fully diminished 7th chord in D, whose four chord tones sit right inside it.
  • Every pattern repeats a minor 3rd (F) up; learn one octave of D fingering and transpose it in three-fret jumps.
  • Alternate a diminished 7th arpeggio with scale steps for the classic spiraling tension line.
  • Do not confuse it with the half-whole scale: whole-half fits the diminished chord itself, half-whole fits dominant 7b9 chords.

How to play D diminished on guitar

Open D sounds the root here, and four more open strings belong too, the E pair on the major second, open G the perfect fourth and open B a major sixth up, so open position is nearly all scale tone. Fret 3 gives a B string root and keeps low phrases short, which means first position handles a full line. Symmetry drops the identical shape onto F diminished 3 frets higher, so one box covers four tonics. A-shape barre goes to fret 5, the E-shape to fret 10. Fret 14 opens the next box.

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