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D♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale

Listen plays the scale. Play Along lights up each note in order so you can follow.

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

Introduction

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

D♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale Notes

DegreeNameNoteInterval
1TonicD♯P1
2SupertonicEm2
3MediantF♯m3
4SubdominantF♯♯M3
5DominantAd5
6SubmediantA♯P5
7Leading ToneB♯M6
8OctaveC♯m7
9Degree 9D♯

Key Signature

The key of D# Half-Whole Diminished (enharmonically equivalent to Eb Half-Whole Diminished) has 3 flats.

B♭E♭A♭

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 D♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale

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

C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
ID♯ Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1ID♯ MajorMajor
2iiF MinorMinor
3iiiG MinorMinor
4IVG♯ MajorMajor
5VA♯ MajorMajor
6viC MinorMinor
7vii°D DiminishedDiminished

D♯ Half-Whole Diminished Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the D# Half-Whole Diminished Scale?
The D# Half-Whole Diminished Scale contains eight notes: D# – E – F# – Fx – A – A# – B# – C#. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does D# Half-Whole Diminished have?
The key of D# Half-Whole Diminished has 3 flats: B♭, E♭, A♭. Flats are added in a fixed order — B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭ — the reverse of the sharp order.
What does the D# Half-Whole Diminished Scale sound like?
The D# 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.