SCALE REFERENCE

C♯ Diminished (Half–Whole)

C♯ – D – E – F – G – G♯ – A♯ – B1 b2 b3 3 #4 5 6 b7

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

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
C♯1Db2Eb3F3G#4G♯5A♯6Bb7
NotesC#, D, E, F, G, G#, A#, B
StepsH – W – H – W – H – W – H – W (W = whole, H = half)
Also calledDominant Diminished
Piano
DEFGBC♯G♯A♯
Guitar & ukulele — every position (frets 0–12)
357912eEFGG♯A♯BC♯DEBBC♯DEFGG♯A♯BGGG♯A♯BC♯DEFGDDEFGG♯A♯BC♯DAA♯BC♯DEFGG♯EEFGG♯A♯BC♯DE

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

357912AA♯BC♯DEFGG♯EEFGG♯A♯BC♯DECC♯DEFGG♯A♯BGGG♯A♯BC♯DEFG

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.