About the B flat Diminished Half-Whole scale
B flat Diminished Half-Whole is used for jazz improvisation over dominant seventh chords. Think of it as the diminished scale starting with a half step, tailor made for dominant chords.
Its notes are B♭, C♭, D♭, D, E, F, G, and A♭. The formula is H W H W H W H W. It is the second mode of A♭ Diminished.
Also called Symmetric Diminished and Dominant Diminished.
B♭ Diminished Half-Whole uses three black keys on the piano, B♭, D♭, and A♭. Notably, the raised fourth falls on the white key E. The mode includes a stretch of four consecutive white keys.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | BbB♭ | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | CbC♭ | Minor 2nd |
| 3 | DbD♭ | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | DD | Major 3rd |
| 5 | EE | Augmented 4th |
| 6 | FF | Perfect 5th |
| 7 | GG | Major 6th |
| 8 | AbA♭ | Minor 7th |
| Steps | H W H W H W H W |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2 |
| Degrees | 1 ♭2 ♭3 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
Diminished Half-Whole in other keys
C Diminished Half-Whole scaleD flat Diminished Half-Whole scaleD Diminished Half-Whole scaleE flat Diminished Half-Whole scaleE Diminished Half-Whole scaleF Diminished Half-Whole scaleG flat Diminished Half-Whole scaleG Diminished Half-Whole scaleA flat Diminished Half-Whole scaleA Diminished Half-Whole scaleB Diminished Half-Whole scale
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.
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