Guitar scale · diminished scale
B Whole-Half Diminished Scale
8-note symmetrical scale of alternating whole and half steps: the scale that fits a diminished 7th chord.
Tap any note to hear it.
B Whole-Half Diminished Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|---------------------------------------7-9-10-| B|--------------------------------8-9-11--------| G|-------------------------7-9-10---------------| D|------------------8-9-11----------------------| A|--------7-8-10-11-----------------------------| E|-7-9-10---------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------9-10-12-13-| B|----------------------------------------11-12------------| G|-----------------------------9-10-12-13------------------| D|---------------------9-11-12-----------------------------| A|------------10-11-13-------------------------------------| E|-9-10-12-13----------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------12-13-15-| B|----------------------------------------12-14-15----------| G|-------------------------------12-13-15-------------------| D|-------------------11-12-14-15----------------------------| A|----------11-13-14----------------------------------------| E|-12-13-15-------------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------15-16-18-| B|----------------------------------------15-17-18----------| G|-------------------------------15-16-18-------------------| D|-------------------14-15-17-18----------------------------| A|----------14-16-17----------------------------------------| E|-15-16-18-------------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------16-18-19-| B|----------------------------------------17-18-20----------| G|-------------------------------16-18-19-------------------| D|----------------------17-18-20----------------------------| A|----------16-17-19-20-------------------------------------| E|-16-18-19-------------------------------------------------|
How to play B Whole-Half Diminished on guitar
Find the root first: B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every B on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, ♭5, 6), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 7–11. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | B |
| 2 | C# |
| ♭3 | D |
| 4 | E |
| ♭5 | F |
| ♭6 | G |
| 6 | G# |
| 7 | A# |
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Questions
- What notes are in the B Whole-Half Diminished Scale?
- The B Whole-Half Diminished Scale has 8 notes: B, C#, D, E, F, G, G#, A#.
- What is the formula of the whole-half diminished scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7, which is the step pattern W H W H W H W H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play B Whole-Half Diminished on the guitar?
- The root B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 7–11, and four more positions connect it up the neck.