SCALE REFERENCE

D♯ Diminished (Half–Whole)

D♯ – E – F♯ – G – A – A♯ – C – C♯1 b2 b3 3 #4 5 6 b7

Also written E♭ 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♯1Eb2F♯b3G3A#4A♯5C6C♯b7
NotesD#, E, F#, G, A, A#, C, C#
StepsH – W – H – W – H – W – H – W (W = whole, H = half)
Also calledDominant Diminished
Piano
EGACD♯F♯A♯C♯
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 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.