A Diminished (HW)

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A Diminished (HW) Scale

– – – – – – – –
AA♯CC♯D♯EF♯GASTSTSTST
Step pattern H – W – H – W – H – W – H – W

A Diminished (HW) contains 8 notes: A, A♯, C, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G. It has 4 sharps: A♯, C♯, D♯, F♯. 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
AA♯CEGAC♯D♯F♯
Staff
𝄞A♯A♯C♯C♯♯D♯E♯F♯GA (8)
Related scales
A Whole toneA Harmonic minor
Related modes
Whole toneDiminished (WH)AugmentedTritoneChromatic
Arpeggios
A Major Arpeggio
Also known as
A Octatonic HWA Half-whole diminishedA Messiaen mode 2A Korsakovian
Common in
JazzBebopFusionClassical
Examples
  • Have You Met Miss Jones - Richard Rodgers
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark theme - John Williams