C Diminished (HW)

123456789101112131415EF♯GAA♯CC♯D♯EF♯GCC♯D♯EF♯GAA♯CC♯GAA♯CC♯D♯EF♯GAA♯D♯EF♯GAA♯CC♯D♯EAA♯CC♯D♯EF♯GAA♯CEF♯GAA♯CC♯D♯EF♯G

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C Diminished (HW) Scale

– – – – – – – –
CC♯D♯EF♯GAA♯CSTSTSTST
Step pattern H – W – H – W – H – W – H – W

C Diminished (HW) contains 8 notes: C, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G, A, A♯. It has 4 sharps: C♯, D♯, F♯, A♯. The step pattern is H–W–H–W–H–W–H–W.

The half-whole diminished scale alternates half and whole steps across 8 notes. It is essential for jazz improvisation, providing all altered tensions over dominant 7th b9 chords.

Theory

The formula is 1, b2, #2, 3, #4, 5, 6, b7. The octave divides into 4 minor-3rd groups, each containing a half step then a whole step. Due to symmetry, only 3 distinct diminished scales exist. It works over dominant 7th b9 chords (providing b9, #9, #11, 13) and over diminished 7th chords where each note can serve as root.

On the guitar

Any diminished lick or scale shape can be moved up or down 3 frets (a minor 3rd) and perfectly outline the same harmony. This makes it extremely efficient for generating vocabulary — learn one position and you effectively know four.

Piano
CEGAC♯D♯F♯A♯C
Staff
𝄞C♯C♯♯D♯E♯F♯GA♯A♯C (8)
Related scales
C Whole toneC Harmonic minor
Related modes
Whole toneDiminished (WH)AugmentedTritoneChromatic
Arpeggios
C Major Arpeggio
Also known as
C Octatonic HWC Half-whole diminishedC Messiaen mode 2C Korsakovian
Common in
JazzBebopFusionClassical
Examples
  • Have You Met Miss Jones - Richard Rodgers
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark theme - John Williams