SCALE REFERENCE

C Diminished (Half–Whole)

C – C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G – A – A♯1 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
C1C♯b2D♯b3E3F♯#4G5A6A♯b7
NotesC, C#, D#, E, F#, G, A, A#
StepsH – W – H – W – H – W – H – W (W = whole, H = half)
Also calledDominant Diminished
Piano
CEGAC♯D♯F♯A♯
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 C

Core scales & modes

C MajorC Natural MinorC Harmonic MinorC Melodic MinorC DorianC PhrygianC LydianC MixolydianC Locrian

Pentatonic & blues

C Major PentatonicC Minor PentatonicC BluesC Major Blues

Jazz & altered

C Harmonic MajorC Phrygian DominantC Lydian DominantC AlteredC Bebop Dominant

Symmetric

C Whole ToneC Diminished (Whole–Half)C Augmented Scale

World & exotic

C Hungarian MinorC Double Harmonic MajorC 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.