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E♭ half-whole diminished Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Eb 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:

E♭

I

F♭

bII

G♭

bIII

G

III

A

#IV

B♭

V

C

VI

D♭

bVII

Same notes, different mode

Eb 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.

Fb diminishedG diminishedBb diminishedDb diminished

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

tip
  • Play Eb half-whole diminished over a Eb13b9 dominant chord; it contains the b9 (E), #9 (F#), natural 13 (C) 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 Eb.
  • Try the classic pattern: half step up, minor 3rd down, repeated through the scale for an instant jazz-fusion sequence.

How to play E♭ half-whole diminished on guitar

Open A and G carry scale tones at an augmented fourth and major third, and both E strings spell Fb a minor second up, so nothing here works as a drone. Roots stack at fret 11, fret 6 and fret 1 across the low E, A and D strings. Capo at fret 1 makes this D half-whole fingering, which means the shape comes from a key you likely already play. Position work opens at fret 15.

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