Scales
Bb Half-Whole Diminished Scale
Bb · Cb · Db · D · E · F · G · Ab
Eight notes alternating half and whole steps — symmetrical, and built for dominant chords.
Also called Bb dominant diminished · Bb octatonic
Bb Half-Whole Diminished Scale
Bb · Cb · Db · D · E · F · G · Ab
Fingering on the piano
| Hand | Fingering | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 | Bb · Cb · Db · D · E · F · G · Ab · Bb | |
| Left hand | 2 1 4 3 2 1 4 3 2 | Bb · Cb · Db · D · E · F · G · Ab · Bb |
One octave ascending; 1 is the thumb. A standard fingering, not the only one.
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Scale degrees
Bb Half-Whole Diminished is made of the notes Bb · Cb · Db · D · E · F · G · Ab. Each is a degree counted from the tonic, and the gaps between them are the step pattern H W H W H W H W.
Read on: scale degrees · building any scale
Related scales
Bb Half-Whole Diminished is a selection of notes from larger scales rather than a seven-note scale of its own, so it has no chords of its own: it takes them from the scales that contain it, listed here with the scales it contains and its related keys.
Scales inside it
Bb ScriabinBb · Cb · D · F · G
Every note of this scale is in Bb Half-Whole Diminished.
Bb Lydian Dominant PentatonicBb · D · E · F · Ab
Every note of this scale is in Bb Half-Whole Diminished.
Bb Prometheus NeapolitanBb · Cb · D · E · G · Ab
Every note of this scale is in Bb Half-Whole Diminished.
Bb Hungarian MajorBb · C# · D · E · F · G · Ab
Every note of this scale is in Bb Half-Whole Diminished.
Bb FlamencoBb · Cb · Db · D · E · F · Ab
Every note of this scale is in Bb Half-Whole Diminished.
Scales that contain it
Bb ChromaticBb · Cb · C · Db · D · Eb · Fb · F · Gb · G · Ab · A
Contains every note of Bb Half-Whole Diminished.
Understanding Bb Half-Whole Diminished
Names and spellings
Bb Half-Whole Diminished is also called Bb dominant diminished, Bb octatonic; every one of those names means exactly these notes.
“The diminished scale” is two scales. The half-whole diminished starts with a half step and fits dominant chords, so it is also called the dominant diminished; the whole-half diminished starts with a whole step and fits diminished seventh chords. Both are octatonic.
How it is built
On Bb the scale is Bb · Cb · Db · D · E · F · G · Ab, following the step pattern H W H W H W H W. Half step, whole step, repeated all the way up.
Because the pattern repeats every minor third, there are only three distinct diminished scales in all twelve keys, and any note of one can be treated as its root.
How it is used
Starting on a half step gives a major third and a minor seventh over the root, plus a ♭9, ♯9 and ♯11 — so it fits a dominant 7♭9 chord exactly, which is its main job.
Start the same pattern with a whole step instead and you get the whole-half diminished, which fits a diminished seventh chord. Same notes, different point of entry.
Learn this properly
Chapter 17: Theory in StylesCommon questions
- What notes are in the Bb Half-Whole Diminished?
- The Bb Half-Whole Diminished contains Bb · Cb · Db · D · E · F · G · Ab. Find every scale that contains these notes with the scale finder.
- How many diminished scales are there?
- Three. The pattern repeats every minor third, so the twelve roots produce only three distinct sets of notes.
- What chord does half-whole diminished fit over?
- A dominant 7♭9, whose ♭9, ♯9 and ♯11 it supplies.
- How do I play Bb Half-Whole Diminished?
- On guitar start with the 1st position, played from the lowest string upward; the instrument panel on this page shows its frets and the positions further up the neck. On the piano the right hand ascends 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4, with 1 as the thumb. Every position plays when you press it.
- What is the formula of Bb Half-Whole Diminished?
- From Bb the steps run H W H W H W H W, where a whole step is two frets or two keys and a half step one. Apply the same pattern from any other note and you get the same scale on that root, which is why every root of this scale has a page here.