STRINGSCALES

D half-whole diminished Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

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

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

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

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

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

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

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D 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:

D

I

E♭

bII

F

bIII

F♯

III

G♯

#IV

A

V

B

VI

C

bVII

Same notes, different mode

D 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.

Eb diminishedF# diminishedA diminishedC diminished

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

tip
  • Play D half-whole diminished over a D13b9 dominant chord; it contains the b9 (Eb), #9 (F), natural 13 (B) 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 D.
  • Try the classic pattern: half step up, minor 3rd down, repeated through the scale for an instant jazz-fusion sequence.

How to play D half-whole diminished on guitar

Open D is a root and open A the fifth, with open B a major sixth, so three strings ring inside the key untouched. Roots repeat at fret 10 on both E strings, fret 5 on the A, fret 7 on the G. Shape repeats for F, Ab and B, stacked three semitones apart, so one grip is worth four keys. First box closes at fret 14.

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