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A Half-Whole Diminished Scale

Reviewed for accuracy · Last updated June 2026 · Maintained by Justin Evans

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Three quick cards on A Half-Whole Diminished Scale
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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

Practice A Half-Whole Diminished Scale

Reading about it is one thing. Drilling it is what makes it automatic.

Scale Drill →Timed runs — every key, every tempoPractice Room →Plug in a MIDI keyboard for real-time feedback

Introduction

A Half-Whole Diminished Scale on piano — A, Bb, C, C#, Eb, E, F#, G, A
The A Half-Whole Diminished Scale shown on a piano keyboard: A, Bb, C, C#, Eb, E, F#, G, A.

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

DegreeNameNoteInterval
1RootAP1
♭2Minor 2ndB♭m2
♭3Minor 3rdCm3
3Major 3rdC♯M3
♭5Diminished 5thE♭d5
5Perfect 5thEP5
6Major 6thF♯M6
♭7Minor 7thGm7
8OctaveAP8

Key Signature

The A Half-Whole Diminished Scale doesn’t line up with a single major or minor key, so it has no standard key signature. Its notes are written with accidentals as needed.

Accidentals

B♭C♯E♭F♯

A Half-Whole Diminished Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the notes of the A Half-Whole Diminished Scale on piano?
The A Half-Whole Diminished Scale uses the notes A – B♭ – C – C♯ – E♭ – E – F♯ – G – A. Play them in order from the root up to the octave, hands separately first, then together.
What notes are in the A Half-Whole Diminished Scale?
The A Half-Whole Diminished Scale contains eight notes: A – Bb – C – C# – Eb – E – F# – G. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does A Half-Whole Diminished have?
The A Half-Whole Diminished Scale doesn't correspond to a single major or minor key, so it has no standard key signature. Its notes are written with accidentals as needed: B♭, C♯, E♭, F♯.
What does the A Half-Whole Diminished Scale sound like?
The A 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.

References & Further Reading

How this scale page is sourced & verified

The note names, intervals, fingering, and harmony on this page are drawn from the established body of Western music theory and verified against the conventions below — the same fundamentals taught in conservatories and music programs. We list categories of source material rather than individual titles, and reference the standards themselves rather than any single edition.

  • Standard music theory texts — Widely taught fundamentals of pitch, rhythm, and notation.
  • Western tonal harmony conventions — Established rules for chord construction, voice leading, and key relationships.
  • Interval and chord construction standards — The conventional spelling of intervals, triads, sevenths, and extensions.
  • Scale and mode theory — The common derivation of major, minor, pentatonic, blues, and modal scales.
  • Piano pedagogy and technique references — Long-standing practices for fingering, hand position, and practice.

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