About the D sharp Diminished scale
D 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 D♯ Bebop Melodic Minor with the fifth lowered.
Its notes are D♯, E♯, F♯, G♯, A, B, B♯, and D. The formula is W H W H W H W H.
Also called Diminished Whole-Half and Octatonic.
The key draws three black keys from the piano, D♯, F♯, and G♯. Ascending through the scale, four white keys fall in a row.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | D#D♯ | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | E#E♯ | Major 2nd |
| 3 | F#F♯ | Minor 3rd |
| 4 | G#G♯ | Perfect 4th |
| 5 | AA | Diminished 5th |
| 6 | BB | Minor 6th |
| 7 | B#B♯ | Major 6th |
| 8 | DD | Major 7th |
| 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 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
Diminished in other keys
C Diminished scaleC sharp Diminished scaleD Diminished scaleE Diminished scaleF Diminished scaleF sharp Diminished scaleG Diminished scaleG sharp Diminished scaleA Diminished scaleA sharp Diminished scaleB Diminished scale
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.
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