SCALE REFERENCE

D Diminished (Whole–Half)

D – E – F – G – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 6 7

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

Notes & degrees
D1E2Fb3G4G♯b5A♯b6B6C♯7
NotesD, E, F, G, G#, A#, B, C#
StepsW – H – W – H – W – H – W – H (W = whole, H = half)
Also calledOctatonic
Piano
DEFGBG♯A♯C♯
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 D

Core scales & modes

D MajorD Natural MinorD Harmonic MinorD Melodic MinorD DorianD PhrygianD LydianD MixolydianD Locrian

Pentatonic & blues

D Major PentatonicD Minor PentatonicD BluesD Major Blues

Jazz & altered

D Harmonic MajorD Phrygian DominantD Lydian DominantD AlteredD Bebop Dominant

Symmetric

D Whole ToneD Diminished (Half–Whole)D Augmented Scale

World & exotic

D Hungarian MinorD Double Harmonic MajorD 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.