A diminished (whole-half) scale
Symmetric8 notes · E♭ + F♯ + G♯
Adiminished (whole-half)
KeyboardRight hand · 1 = thumb
Fingering guideOne octave · both hands
| Hand | A | B | C | D | E♭ | F | F♯ | G♯ | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 4 | 1thumb under | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1thumb under | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Left hand | 2 | 1 | 44 over | 3 | 2 | 1 | 44 over | 3 | 2 |
Chords in the key
Stacking every other note of a diminished scale gives diminished chords: the scale holds two diminished seventh chords a half step apart.
How to read a scale
Steps, degrees, fingers.
The step pattern
Every scale is a pattern of whole and half steps. A diminished (whole-half) goes W–H–W–H–W–H–W–H.
The degrees
Number the notes from the root: 1 A, 2 B, ♭3 C, 4 D, ♭5 E♭, ♭6 F, 6 F♯, 7 G♯. The degrees stay the same in every key, so a pattern learned in A works in any other.
The fingering
Right hand: the thumb tucks under onto B, then the thumb tucks under onto F. Left hand: finger 4 crosses over onto C, then finger 4 crosses over onto F♯. Practise the crossings slowly; once they're smooth, raise the tempo.
All 216 scales
Every scale and mode on every root, each with its own page.
C
D♭
D
E♭
E
F
G♭
G
A♭
A
B♭
Practise it on a real keyboard.
Plug in a MIDI keyboard: the Melodio app shows every scale with its fingering and chords, and names what you play. Free, offline.
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