SCALE REFERENCE

C♯ Diminished (Whole–Half)

C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G – A – A♯ – C1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 6 7

Also written D♭ 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
C♯1D♯2Eb3F♯4Gb5Ab6A♯6C7
NotesC#, D#, E, F#, G, A, A#, C
StepsW – H – W – H – W – H – W – H (W = whole, H = half)
Also calledOctatonic
Piano
EGACC♯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 (Half–Whole)C♯ Augmented Scale

World & exotic

C♯ Hungarian MinorC♯ Double Harmonic MajorC♯ 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.