Skip to content

G♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale

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

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

Introduction

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

G♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale Notes

DegreeNameNoteInterval
1TonicG♯P1
2SupertonicAm2
3MediantBm3
4SubdominantB♯M3
5DominantDd5
6SubmediantD♯P5
7Leading ToneE♯M6
8OctaveF♯m7
9Degree 9G♯

Key Signature

The key of G# Half-Whole Diminished (enharmonically equivalent to 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.

BEADGCF

Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father

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

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

C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
IG♯ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IG♯ MajorMajor
2iiA♯ MinorMinor
3iiiC MinorMinor
4IVC♯ MajorMajor
5VD♯ MajorMajor
6viF MinorMinor
7vii°G DiminishedDiminished

G♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the G# Half-Whole Diminished Scale?
The G# Half-Whole Diminished Scale contains eight notes: G# – A – B – B# – D – D# – E# – F#. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does G# Half-Whole Diminished have?
The key of G# 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 G# Half-Whole Diminished Scale sound like?
The G# 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.