Scales
D Half-Whole Diminished Scale
D · Eb · F · F# · G# · A · B · C
Eight notes alternating half and whole steps — symmetrical, and built for dominant chords.
Also called D dominant diminished · D octatonic
D Half-Whole Diminished Scale
D · Eb · F · F# · G# · A · B · C
Fingering on the piano
| Hand | Fingering | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 | D · Eb · F · F# · G# · A · B · C · D | |
| Left hand | 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 | D · Eb · F · F# · G# · A · B · C · D |
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
D Half-Whole Diminished is made of the notes D · Eb · F · F# · G# · A · B · C. 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
D 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
D ScriabinD · Eb · F# · A · B
Every note of this scale is in D Half-Whole Diminished.
D Lydian Dominant PentatonicD · F# · G# · A · C
Every note of this scale is in D Half-Whole Diminished.
D Super Locrian PentatonicD · F · Gb · Ab · C
Every note of this scale is in D Half-Whole Diminished.
D Prometheus NeapolitanD · Eb · F# · G# · B · C
Every note of this scale is in D Half-Whole Diminished.
D Hungarian MajorD · E# · F# · G# · A · B · C
Every note of this scale is in D Half-Whole Diminished.
D FlamencoD · Eb · F · F# · G# · A · C
Every note of this scale is in D Half-Whole Diminished.
Scales that contain it
D ChromaticD · Eb · E · F · F# · G · Ab · A · Bb · B · C · C#
Contains every note of D Half-Whole Diminished.
Understanding D Half-Whole Diminished
Names and spellings
D Half-Whole Diminished is also called D dominant diminished, D 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 D the scale is D · Eb · F · F# · G# · A · B · C, 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 D Half-Whole Diminished?
- The D Half-Whole Diminished contains D · Eb · F · F# · G# · A · B · C. 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 D 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 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 4, with 1 as the thumb. Every position plays when you press it.
- What is the formula of D Half-Whole Diminished?
- From D 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.