SCALE REFERENCE

A♭ Diminished (Whole–Half)

A♭ – B♭ – B – D♭ – D – E – F – G1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 6 7

Also written G♯ Diminished (Whole–Half) — the same pitches spelled the other way.

Eight notes alternating whole then half steps — the scale over a diminished 7th chord. Fully symmetric: it repeats every minor third.

Notes & degrees
A♭1B♭2Bb3D♭4Db5Eb6F6G7
NotesAb, Bb, B, Db, D, E, F, G
StepsW – H – W – H – W – H – W – H (W = whole, H = half)
Also calledOctatonic
Piano
BDEFGA♭B♭D♭
Guitar & ukulele — every position (frets 0–12)
357912eEFGA♭B♭BD♭DEBBD♭DEFGA♭B♭BGGA♭B♭BD♭DEFGDDEFGA♭B♭BD♭DAB♭BD♭DEFGA♭EEFGA♭B♭BD♭DE

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

357912AB♭BD♭DEFGA♭EEFGA♭B♭BD♭DECD♭DEFGA♭B♭BGGA♭B♭BD♭DEFG

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 (Half–Whole)A♭ Augmented Scale

World & exotic

A♭ Hungarian MinorA♭ Double Harmonic MajorA♭ Neapolitan Minor
Diminished (Whole–Half) 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.