Whole-Half Diminished

1 – 2 – ♭3 – 4 – ♭5 – ♭6 – 6 – 7 — eight-note symmetric, twelve keys

Whole-half diminished is an 8-note symmetric scale built by alternating whole step, half step. C WH dim: C D E♭ F G♭ A♭ A B C. Used over diminished 7 chords (which themselves are symmetric stacks of minor 3rds).

Sister scale to the half-whole diminished (mode-shifted by one step). H-W is for V7♭9; W-H is for dim7 chords. Both share the same set of three discrete scales — every WH dim scale is identical in pitch content to three other WH dim scales — the ones a m3, a tritone, and a M6 away.

Now 2 octaves, both hands — the same pattern extended up and back with fingering marked above every note in each hand.

Intervals

W H W H W H W H — 8 notes per octave.

Use

Over dim7 chords. Sister scale of half-whole diminished.

C dim

F dim

B♭ dim

E♭ dim

A♭ dim

D♭ dim

G♭ dim

B dim

E dim

A dim

D dim

G dim

Eight notes, alternating whole-half. The diatonic scale for diminished 7 chords.

80 bpm

Sound