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C♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale

Hear the C♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale played for you.

C♯ – D – E – E♯ – G – G♯ – A♯ – B – C♯
Formula:H-W-H-W-H-W-H-W
Intervals:P1-m2-m3-M3-d5-P5-M6-m7

Introduction

The C♯ Half-Whole Diminished scale contains eight notes: C♯, D, E, E♯, G, G♯, A♯, and B. It follows the whole-step / half-step pattern H-W-H-W-H-W-H-W.

C♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale Notes

DegreeNameNoteInterval
1TonicC♯P1
2SupertonicDm2
3MediantEm3
4SubdominantE♯M3
5DominantGd5
6SubmediantG♯P5
7Leading ToneA♯M6
8OctaveBm7
9Degree 9C♯

Key Signature

The key of C# Half-Whole Diminished has 7 sharps.

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

FCGDAEB

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of C♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale

These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the C♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale:

C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
IC♯ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IC♯ MajorMajor
2iiD♯ MinorMinor
3iiiF MinorMinor
4IVF♯ MajorMajor
5VG♯ MajorMajor
6viA♯ MinorMinor
7vii°C DiminishedDiminished

C♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the C# Half-Whole Diminished Scale?
The C# Half-Whole Diminished Scale contains eight notes: C# – D – E – E# – G – G# – A# – B. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does C# Half-Whole Diminished have?
The key of C# Half-Whole Diminished has 7 sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯. Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order — F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯ — so each new sharp key adds the next sharp on that list.
What does the C# Half-Whole Diminished Scale sound like?
The C# 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.