Guitar scale · diminished scale
C 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.
C 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|-------------------------------------------8-10-11-| B|-----------------------------------9-10-12---------| G|---------------------------8-10-11-----------------| D|-------------------9-10-12-------------------------| A|---------8-9-11-12---------------------------------| E|-8-10-11-------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------10-11-13-14-| B|-------------------------------------------12-13-------------| G|-------------------------------10-11-13-14-------------------| D|----------------------10-12-13-------------------------------| A|-------------11-12-14----------------------------------------| E|-10-11-13-14-------------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------13-14-16-| B|----------------------------------------13-15-16----------| G|-------------------------------13-14-16-------------------| D|-------------------12-13-15-16----------------------------| A|----------12-14-15----------------------------------------| E|-13-14-16-------------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------16-17-19-| B|----------------------------------------16-18-19----------| G|-------------------------------16-17-19-------------------| D|-------------------15-16-18-19----------------------------| A|----------15-17-18----------------------------------------| E|-16-17-19-------------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------17-19-20-| B|----------------------------------------18-19-21----------| G|-------------------------------17-19-20-------------------| D|----------------------18-19-21----------------------------| A|----------17-18-20-21-------------------------------------| E|-17-19-20-------------------------------------------------|
How to play C Whole-Half Diminished on guitar
Find the root first: C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C 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 8–12. 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 | C |
| 2 | D |
| ♭3 | Eb |
| 4 | F |
| ♭5 | Gb |
| ♭6 | Ab |
| 6 | A |
| 7 | B |
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Questions
- What notes are in the C Whole-Half Diminished Scale?
- The C Whole-Half Diminished Scale has 8 notes: C, D, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, A, B.
- 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 C Whole-Half Diminished on the guitar?
- The root C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 8–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.