SCALE REFERENCE

A Diminished (Half–Whole)

A – A♯ – C – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G1 b2 b3 3 #4 5 6 b7

Half then whole steps — the scale over a 7b9 chord, giving the b9, #9, #11 and 13. The other half of the octatonic pair.

Notes & degrees
A1A♯b2Cb3C♯3D♯#4E5F♯6Gb7
NotesA, A#, C, C#, D#, E, F#, G
StepsH – W – H – W – H – W – H – W (W = whole, H = half)
Also calledDominant Diminished
Piano
ACEGA♯C♯D♯F♯
Guitar & ukulele — every position (frets 0–12)
357912eEF♯GAA♯CC♯D♯EBCC♯D♯EF♯GAA♯GGAA♯CC♯D♯EF♯GDD♯EF♯GAA♯CC♯AAA♯CC♯D♯EF♯GAEEF♯GAA♯CC♯D♯E

Root notes are red. The full map of the scale on the guitar neck; the common box patterns are groups of these notes.

357912AAA♯CC♯D♯EF♯GAEEF♯GAA♯CC♯D♯ECCC♯D♯EF♯GAA♯CGGAA♯CC♯D♯EF♯G

The same scale on a ukulele in standard G–C–E–A tuning.

Other scales on A

Core scales & modes

A MajorA Natural MinorA Harmonic MinorA Melodic MinorA DorianA PhrygianA LydianA MixolydianA Locrian

Pentatonic & blues

A Major PentatonicA Minor PentatonicA BluesA Major Blues

Jazz & altered

A Harmonic MajorA Phrygian DominantA Lydian DominantA AlteredA Bebop Dominant

Symmetric

A Whole ToneA Diminished (Whole–Half)A Augmented Scale

World & exotic

A Hungarian MinorA Double Harmonic MajorA Neapolitan Minor
Diminished (Half–Whole) on another root
CC♯D♭DE♭D♯EFF♯G♭GA♭G♯AB♭A♯B
Keep exploring

See the diatonic chords with audio in the Scale & Chord Finder, find where a key sits among the others on the Circle of Fifths, or start the free Cloud Atelier music guides.