Practice Lab

Guitar · scales and modes

D, F, A♭ and B diminished half–whole scale on guitar

The D, F, A♭ and B diminished half–whole scales have the same notes, so this one page covers all 4, written from D: D, E♭, F, F♯, A♭, A, B, C. Also called Messiaen 2. Messiaen's second mode (octatonic), half–whole form — the standard jazz diminished scale.

D diminished half–whole: notes, degrees and the semitones to the next note
NoteDE♭FF♯A♭ABC
Degree1♭2♭33♭556♭7
Step12121212

D diminished half–whole on the whole neck

Every D diminished half–whole note from the open strings to fret 15, in standard E tuning (E A D G B E), by name; by degree under "Show more".

D diminished half–whole scale, note names, frets 0 to 15F2F#2Ab2A2B2C3D3Eb3F3F#3A2B2C3D3Eb3F3F#3Ab3A3B3C4D3Eb3F3F#3Ab3A3B3C4D4Eb4F4Ab3A3B3C4D4Eb4F4F#4Ab4A4B3C4D4Eb4F4F#4Ab4A4B4C5D5F4F#4Ab4A4B4C5D5Eb5F5F#56E25A24D33G32B31E40123456789101112131415
  • D diminished half–whole
Note names
Show 1 more neck: by degreeShow less
D diminished half–whole scale, degrees, frets 0 to 15b33b556b71b2b3356b71b2b33b556b71b2b33b556b71b2b3b556b71b2b33b556b71b2b33b556b71b33b556b71b2b336E25A24D33G32B31E40123456789101112131415
  • D diminished half–whole
Degrees

D diminished half–whole in 5 positions

The neck split into the hand positions Practice Lab practices, one for each place a D falls on a string, with the notes its scale run fingers there.

D diminished half–whole, position 1, frets 0 to 4b33b556b71b2b3b556b71b33b56E25A24D33G32B31E401234
    Position 1: frets 0–4, 17 notes
    D diminished half–whole, position 2, frets 3 to 7b556b71b2b33b56b71b2b3b5566E25A24D33G32B31E434567
      Position 2: frets 3–7, 17 notes
      D diminished half–whole, position 3, frets 5 to 956b71b2b3b556b71b2b33b556b76E25A24D33G32B31E456789
        Position 3: frets 5–9, 18 notes
        Show 2 more positionsShow less
        D diminished half–whole, position 4, frets 7 to 116b71b33b556b71b2b33b556b716E25A24D33G32B31E47891011
          Position 4: frets 7–11, 18 notes
          D diminished half–whole, position 5, frets 10 to 141b2b3b556b71b2b33b556b71b2b36E25A24D33G32B31E41011121314
            Position 5: frets 10–14, 18 notes

            Triads in D diminished half–whole

            DegreeChordPages
            1DD major arpeggio
            1DmD minor arpeggio
            1DdimD diminished arpeggio
            ♭2E♭dimD♯ diminished arpeggio
            ♭3FF major arpeggio
            ♭3FmF minor arpeggio
            ♭3FdimF diminished arpeggio
            3F♯dimF♯ diminished arpeggio
            ♭5A♭A♭ major arpeggio
            ♭5A♭mG♯ minor arpeggio
            ♭5A♭dimG♯ diminished arpeggio
            5AdimA diminished arpeggio
            6BB major arpeggio
            6BmB minor arpeggio
            6BdimB diminished arpeggio
            ♭7CdimC diminished arpeggio

            Seventh chords in D diminished half–whole

            DegreeChordPages
            1Dm7Dm7 arpeggio · Dm7 drop 2 · Dm7 drop 3 · Dm7 drop 2 and 4
            1D7D7 arpeggio · D7 drop 2 · D7 drop 3 · D7 drop 2 and 4
            1Dm7♭5Dm7♭5 arpeggio · Dm7♭5 drop 2 · Dm7♭5 drop 3 · Dm7♭5 drop 2 and 4
            1Ddim7Ddim7 arpeggio
            1D–
            ♭2E♭dim7D♯dim7 arpeggio
            ♭3Fm7Fm7 arpeggio · Fm7 drop 2 · Fm7 drop 3 · Fm7 drop 2 and 4
            ♭3F7F7 arpeggio · F7 drop 2 · F7 drop 3 · F7 drop 2 and 4
            ♭3Fm7♭5Fm7♭5 arpeggio · Fm7♭5 drop 2 · Fm7♭5 drop 3 · Fm7♭5 drop 2 and 4
            ♭3Fdim7Fdim7 arpeggio
            ♭3F–
            3F♯dim7F♯dim7 arpeggio
            ♭5A♭m7G♯m7 arpeggio · G♯m7 drop 2 · G♯m7 drop 3 · G♯m7 drop 2 and 4
            ♭5A♭7A♭7 arpeggio · A♭7 drop 2 · A♭7 drop 3 · A♭7 drop 2 and 4
            ♭5A♭m7♭5G♯m7♭5 arpeggio · G♯m7♭5 drop 2 · G♯m7♭5 drop 3 · G♯m7♭5 drop 2 and 4
            ♭5A♭dim7G♯dim7 arpeggio
            ♭5A♭–
            5Adim7Adim7 arpeggio
            6Bm7Bm7 arpeggio · Bm7 drop 2 · Bm7 drop 3 · Bm7 drop 2 and 4
            6B7B7 arpeggio · B7 drop 2 · B7 drop 3 · B7 drop 2 and 4
            6Bm7♭5Bm7♭5 arpeggio · Bm7♭5 drop 2 · Bm7♭5 drop 3 · Bm7♭5 drop 2 and 4
            6Bdim7Bdim7 arpeggio
            6B–
            ♭7Cdim7Cdim7 arpeggio

            Same notes, other names

            These scales use exactly the notes of D diminished half–whole, starting from another root.

            Diminished half–whole in every key

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