STRINGSCALES

E half-whole diminished Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

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

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

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

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

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

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E 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

E 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.

F diminishedG# diminishedB diminishedD diminished

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

tip
  • Play E half-whole diminished over a E13b9 dominant chord; it contains the b9 (F), #9 (G), 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 E.
  • 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

Both open E strings are roots, and open B adds the fifth, so an open frame sits under every position. Fretted roots are fret 7 on the A string, fret 2 on the D string and fret 9 on the G string. Same shape reads as G half-whole three semitones up and Bb half-whole six up, so one box does the work of three. Nut position ends at fret 4.

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