Diminished scale
Diminished alternates whole steps and half steps until the octave closes, which takes eight notes rather than seven.
- Used for
- Jazz solos over diminished chords and tense, suspenseful film cues.
- Formula
-
Steps W H W H W H W H Semitones 2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1 Degrees 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7 - Also called
- Diminished Whole-Half, Octatonic, Whole-Half Diminished, and Messiaen Mode 2.
Diminished in all 12 keys
Pick a key to see it on the piano, or jump straight to the guitar view.
- C C Diminished scale piano guitar
- D flat Db Diminished scale piano guitar
- D D Diminished scale piano guitar
- E flat Eb Diminished scale piano guitar
- E E Diminished scale piano guitar
- F F Diminished scale piano guitar
- G flat Gb Diminished scale piano guitar
- G G Diminished scale piano guitar
- A flat Ab Diminished scale piano guitar
- A A Diminished scale piano guitar
- B flat Bb Diminished scale piano guitar
- B B Diminished scale piano guitar
