A♭ Half-Whole Diminished Scale
Hear the A♭ Half-Whole Diminished Scale played for you.
A♭ – B𝄫 – C♭ – C – E𝄫 – E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭
Formula:H-W-H-W-H-W-H-W
Intervals:P1-m2-m3-M3-d5-P5-M6-m7
Introduction
The A♭ Half-Whole Diminished scale contains eight notes: A♭, B𝄫, C♭, C, E𝄫, E♭, F, and G♭. It follows the whole-step / half-step pattern H-W-H-W-H-W-H-W.
A♭ Half-Whole Diminished Scale Notes
| Degree | Name | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | A♭ | P1 |
| 2 | Supertonic | B𝄫 | m2 |
| 3 | Mediant | C♭ | m3 |
| 4 | Subdominant | C | M3 |
| 5 | Dominant | E𝄫 | d5 |
| 6 | Submediant | E♭ | P5 |
| 7 | Leading Tone | F | M6 |
| 8 | Octave | G♭ | m7 |
| 9 | Degree 9 | A♭ | — |
Key Signature
The key of Ab Half-Whole Diminished has 4 flats.
B♭E♭A♭D♭
Order of flats
Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.
B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭
Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Chords in the Key of A♭ Half-Whole Diminished Scale
These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the A♭ Half-Whole Diminished Scale:
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
I — A♭ Major (major)
A♭ Half-Whole Diminished Scale — Frequently Asked Questions
What notes are in the Ab Half-Whole Diminished Scale?
The Ab Half-Whole Diminished Scale contains eight notes: Ab – Bbb – Cb – C – Ebb – Eb – F – Gb. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does Ab Half-Whole Diminished have?
The key of Ab Half-Whole Diminished has 4 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭. Flats are added in a fixed order — B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭ — the reverse of the sharp order.
What does the Ab Half-Whole Diminished Scale sound like?
The Ab Half-Whole Diminished Scale has a distinctive sound shaped by its specific interval pattern. Listen to the audio playback above to hear the character on every note.
Related Tools
Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.