Chord Colors

A♯ Diminished scale

About the A sharp Diminished scale

A sharp Diminished is used for jazz solos over diminished chords and tense, suspenseful film cues. Think of it as a symmetrical eight-note scale that alternates whole and half steps. It is A Bebop Melodic Minor with the fifth lowered.

Its notes are A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. The formula is W H W H W H W H.

Also called Diminished Whole-Half and Octatonic.

Learn more about the A♯ Diminished scale

A Diminished uses four black keys on the piano, A, C, D, and F.

Notes and intervals

1A#A♯Root
2B#B♯Major 2nd
3C#C♯Minor 3rd
4D#D♯Perfect 4th
5EEDiminished 5th
6F#F♯Minor 6th
7GGMajor 6th
8AAMajor 7th
StepsW H W H W H W H
Semitones2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1
Degrees1 2 3 4 5 6 6 7

Shapes

Chromatic

CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B

Circle of Fifths

CGDAEBF♯G♭C♯D♭G♯A♭D♯E♭A♯B♭F

Related scales

Diminished in other keys

Modes

The same notes, starting on a different note.

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Bb Diminished scale on piano shown as colored note dots
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