Half Whole Diminished Scale Piano Reference With Notes & Intervals

🎹 The half whole diminished scale, also known as the dominant diminished scale, is a symmetrical 8-note scale built using alternating half steps and whole steps.

It compares to the diminished scale (aka octatonic scale), which is also a symmetrical 8-note scale, but alternates whole steps and half steps (the opposite order).

The half whole diminished scale is often used over dominant 7th chords.

Here you'll find an interactive piano reference for the half whole diminished scale with notes on the piano keyboard, intervals and scale formula.

Half Whole Diminished Scale Intervals

The intervals of the half whole diminished scale are:

Half Whole Diminished Scale Formula

The formula for the half whole diminished scale is: h, W, h, W, h, W, h, W

W: Whole step, h: Half step (semitone)

Half Whole Diminished Scales Note Chart

	C
	C♯
	D
	D♯
	E
	F
	F♯
	G
	G♯
	A
	A♯
	B

And now here are interactive piano keyboard layouts, one for each key, where you can hear the half whole diminished scales being played up and down:

C Half Whole Diminished Scale

notes:

C♯ Half Whole Diminished Scale

notes:

D Half Whole Diminished Scale

notes:

D♯ Half Whole Diminished Scale

notes:

E Half Whole Diminished Scale

notes:

F Half Whole Diminished Scale

notes:

F♯ Half Whole Diminished Scale

notes:

G Half Whole Diminished Scale

notes:

G♯ Half Whole Diminished Scale

notes:

A Half Whole Diminished Scale

notes:

A♯ Half Whole Diminished Scale

notes:

B Half Whole Diminished Scale

notes: