A♭ diminished (whole–half) scale
A♭ diminished (whole–half) is A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭♭ F♭ F G. Whole-half diminished: eight notes alternating whole and half steps, built from two diminished seventh chords, used over dominant sevenths.
- Formula
- 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7
- Steps
- W H W H W H W H
- Notes
- 8
- Also written
- G♯ diminished (whole–half)
Notes and degrees
The A♭ diminished (whole–half) scale has eight notes: A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭♭ F♭ F G. Each degree is named by its distance from the tonic, A♭.
| Degree | Note | Interval above A♭ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P1 | ||
| 2 | M2 | ||
| 3 | m3 | ||
| 4 | P4 | ||
| 5 | d5 | ||
| 6 | m6 | ||
| 7 | M6 | ||
| 8 | M7 |
On the piano
Every key of the scale is lit in its own colour. Click one to hear it.
On the guitar
Every A♭ scale tone on the first twelve frets in standard tuning. The tonic is ringed. Click a dot to hear the note.
What it sounds like
The whole-half diminished scale alternates whole and half steps across eight notes, starting with a whole step. Its pattern repeats every minor third, so only three distinct transpositions exist. The scale contains both a minor and a major third above the root, along with a flat fifth and a sharp fifth, so over a dominant chord it sounds dense and tense. The symmetry gives the scale an even, dissonant sound that does not settle on one tonic.
Where you hear it
Jazz players use the whole-half diminished scale over dominant seventh chords, usually starting a half step above the chord root. In that position it supplies the flat ninth, sharp ninth, sharp eleventh, and sharp fifth alongside the chord's third and flat seventh. For example, the C scale serves B7. The same eight notes fit dominant chords whose roots are a minor third apart, which makes the scale useful in fast chord changes. Twentieth-century composers used symmetrical octatonic collections like this one for color.
How it is built
The whole-half diminished scale is the union of two diminished seventh chords, C diminished seventh (C E♭ G♭ A) and D diminished seventh (D F A♭ B), which gives it its name. It is an octatonic collection with no parent mode in the major or minor families. Transposing it up a minor third gives the same eight notes, which is why it has only three distinct transpositions. Over a dominant seventh chord, the tonic sits a half step above the chord root, so the C whole-half scale serves B7.
Scales with the same notes
These scales use the same eight pitches as A♭ diminished (whole–half), starting from a different note.
- C♯ diminished (half–whole)
- D diminished (whole–half)
- E diminished (half–whole)
- F diminished (whole–half)
- G diminished (half–whole)
- G♯ diminished (whole–half)
- B♭ diminished (half–whole)
- B diminished (whole–half)
Other A♭ scales
- A♭ major
- A♭ natural minor
- A♭ harmonic minor
- A♭ melodic minor
- A♭ Dorian
- A♭ Phrygian
- A♭ Lydian
- A♭ Mixolydian
- A♭ major pentatonic
- A♭ minor pentatonic
- A♭ blues
- A♭ whole-tone
- A♭ diminished (half–whole)
- A♭ Phrygian dominant
- A♭ Lydian dominant
- A♭ double harmonic major
- A♭ Hungarian minor
- A♭ bebop dominant
How to practise it
Play C whole-half diminished ascending and descending, with a drone on C, and hear the alternation of whole and half steps. Play the two diminished seventh arpeggios, C E♭ G♭ A and D F A♭ B, then connect them through the scale. Over a B7 vamp, use the C whole-half scale and land on the chord tones B, D♯ (written E♭), F♯ (written G♭), and A.
Enharmonic spelling
A♭ and G♯ are the same pitch, so this scale can also be written as G♯ diminished (whole–half): G♯ A♯ B C♯ D E E♯ F×. The spelling that needs fewer accidentals is the one you will usually meet.
Further reading
- Chord-Scale Theory Explained: Which Scale Fits Which ChordJazz & Popular Harmony · 7 min
Questions
What are the notes of the A♭ diminished (whole–half) scale?
The A♭ diminished (whole–half) scale is A♭, B♭, C♭, D♭, E♭♭, F♭, F, G. Written ascending it returns to A♭ an octave higher.
What is the formula for the A♭ diminished (whole–half) scale?
The formula is 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7 measured from the major scale. As steps that is W, H, W, H, W, H, W, H (W is a whole step, H a half step).
What is the whole-half diminished scale?
It is an eight-note scale that alternates whole and half steps, starting with a whole step. On C it is C D E♭ F G♭ A♭ A B. It is one of two symmetrical diminished scales, and jazz players use it mainly over dominant seventh chords. Its eight notes combine two diminished seventh chords, which gives the scale its name.
How is whole-half diminished different from half-whole diminished?
Whole-half begins with a whole step, so on C it is C D E♭ F G♭ A♭ A B. Half-whole begins with a half step, so on C it is C D♭ E♭ E F♯ G A B♭. Over a dominant chord, half-whole is usually built on the chord root, while whole-half starts a half step above it.
Which chords fit the whole-half diminished scale?
The main use is dominant seventh chords with altered extensions. With the tonic a half step above the chord root, the scale supplies the flat and sharp ninths and the sharp eleventh. The same eight notes also fit dominant chords whose roots are a minor third apart, since the scale repeats every minor third.