Diminished (whole–half) · B · Guitar
The B Dim. W–H scale is B D♭ D E F G A♭ B♭ — formula 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7, step pattern W–H–W–H–W–H–W–H. Use it over Bdim7: it is the scale for fully diminished seventh chords (dim7). Below, every note is marked on the fretboard in standard tuning; press play to hear it on a synthesized guitar while each note lights up, or tap any fret to sound that note.
Visualizer
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano
Tap any note on the diagram to hear it. Play loops the scale up and down one octave in eighth notes (switch Loop off for a single pass) in the position starting at fret 7. “Show” switches or combines the fretboard and keyboard; “Sound” picks the instrument you hear. Audio is synthesized in the browser.
Reference
| Degree | Note | Interval from B | Step to next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | unison (0 semitones) | W |
| 2 | D♭ | major 2nd (2 semitones) | H |
| ♭3 | D | minor 3rd (3 semitones) | W |
| 4 | E | perfect 4th (5 semitones) | H |
| ♭5 | F | tritone (6 semitones) | W |
| ♭6 | G | minor 6th (8 semitones) | H |
| 6 | A♭ | major 6th (9 semitones) | W |
| 7 | B♭ | major 7th (11 semitones) | H |
Chord it implies: Bdim7 (B – D – F – A♭). Use it for: fully diminished seventh chords (dim7).
Common questions
B D♭ D E F G A♭ B♭. As scale degrees: 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7. It has 8 notes.
B Dim. W–H fits Bdim7 and, more generally, fully diminished seventh chords (dim7).
1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7 — the step pattern from the root is W H W H W H W H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Start on the root B on the low E string at fret 7, and play the one-octave position shown: E-string fret 7, E-string fret 9, E-string fret 10, A-string fret 7, A-string fret 8, A-string fret 10, A-string fret 11, D-string fret 8, D-string fret 9. Every B on the neck is a root, so the same shape works in every position where the notes are marked.
Keep going
Same scale on piano · all Dim. W–H pages: Diminished (whole–half) hub · theory: chord-scale theory.
Other scales from B