C Half-Whole Diminished Scale

1Composition: what it contains

C – D♭ – E♭ – E – F♯ – G – A – B♭

Formula

1 ♭2 ♭3 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7

Steps

H – W – H – W – H – W – H – W

Number of notes

8

Sharps and flats

1 ♯, 3 ♭

Also called

dominant diminished scale, octatonic scale (half-whole), diminished scale (dominant)

2Appearance: diagrams and sound

Tip: click any note, key or fret to hear it. Orange = root.

3Indications: what it is used for

The dominant diminished scale: it fits dominant seventh chords with ♭9, ♯9, ♯11 and natural 13 (7♭9, 13♭9, 7♯9). In jazz, play it over V7 chords resolving to major or minor, especially when the band voices 13♭9. It also fits diminished seventh chords built a half step above its root. Classical and film composers use the octatonic sound for suspense. Because it repeats every minor third, there are only three different diminished scales.

4Dosage: how to practise it

Eight to ten minutes daily at 60–100 BPM. Practise it as four stacked minor thirds with a half step below each, and as two interlocking diminished seventh arpeggios. Play patterns that move a motif up in minor thirds; this symmetry is the scale's main resource. On guitar, learn the repeating fingering that shifts every three frets. On piano, play a 13♭9 voicing in the left hand and improvise. Resolve each phrase to the third of the target chord.

5Warnings and common mistakes

Do not confuse it with the whole-half diminished scale: half-whole starts with a half step and fits dominant chords; whole-half starts with a whole step and fits diminished chords. It contains a natural fifth and natural thirteenth, so it does not fit 7♯5 or 7♭13 chords (use altered instead). Spelling requires one letter to be used twice. Over-symmetrical patterns can sound like exercises; break them up.

6Interactions with chords, scales and keys

Chords that fit this scale

C Cm Cdim C6 Cm6 C7 Cm7 Cm7♭5 Cdim7 C7♭9 C7♯9 C7♭5

Same notes, different starting point

• E flat Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• F sharp Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• A Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• C sharp Whole-Half Diminished Scale
• E Whole-Half Diminished Scale
• G Whole-Half Diminished Scale
• B flat Whole-Half Diminished Scale

7Other presentations available

The same scale from every note

• C sharp Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• D Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• E flat Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• E Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• F Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• F sharp Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• G Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• A flat Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• A Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• B flat Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• B Half-Whole Diminished Scale

Other scales from the same note

• C Major Scale
• C Natural Minor Scale
• C Harmonic Minor Scale
• C Melodic Minor Scale
• C Dorian Mode
• C Phrygian Mode
• C Lydian Mode
• C Mixolydian Mode
• C Locrian Mode
• C Major Pentatonic Scale
• C Minor Pentatonic Scale
• C Blues Scale
• C Major Blues Scale
• C Whole Tone Scale
• C Whole-Half Diminished Scale
• C Phrygian Dominant Scale
• C Hungarian Minor Scale
• C Lydian Dominant Scale
• C Altered Scale
• C Double Harmonic Major Scale
• C Bebop Dominant Scale