SCALE REFERENCE

D♭ Diminished (Half–Whole)

D♭ – D – E – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – B1 b2 b3 3 #4 5 6 b7

Also written C♯ 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
D♭1Db2Eb3F3G#4A♭5B♭6Bb7
NotesDb, D, E, F, G, Ab, Bb, B
StepsH – W – H – W – H – W – H – W (W = whole, H = half)
Also calledDominant Diminished
Piano
DEFGBD♭A♭B♭
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 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 (Whole–Half)D♭ Augmented Scale

World & exotic

D♭ Hungarian MinorD♭ Double Harmonic MajorD♭ 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.