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B Whole-Half Diminished Scale

scale·/scales/whole-half-diminished-scale/b/

The B Whole-Half Diminished Scale contains the notes B, C♯, D, E, F, G, G♯, and A♯.

Notes: B, C♯, D, E, F, G, G♯, A♯ · Piano keys: B C♯ D E F G G♯ A♯

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

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Three quick cards on B Whole-Half Diminished Scale
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B – C♯ – D – E – F – G – G♯ – A♯ – B
Formula:W-H-W-H-W-H-W-H
Intervals:P1-M2-m3-P4-d5-m6-M6-M7

Practice B Whole-Half Diminished Scale

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Introduction

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

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

B Whole-Half Diminished Scale Notes

DegreeNameNoteInterval
1RootBP1
2Major 2ndC♯M2
♭3Minor 3rdDm3
4Perfect 4thEP4
♭5Diminished 5thFd5
♭6Minor 6thGm6
6Major 6thG♯M6
7Major 7thA♯M7
8OctaveBP8

Key Signature

The B Whole-Half 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

C♯G♯A♯

B Whole-Half Diminished Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the notes of the B Whole-Half Diminished Scale on piano?
The B Whole-Half Diminished Scale uses the notes B – C♯ – D – E – F – G – G♯ – A♯ – B. Play them in order from the root up to the octave, hands separately first, then together.
What notes are in the B Whole-Half Diminished Scale?
The B Whole-Half Diminished Scale contains eight notes: B – C# – D – E – F – G – G# – A#. The notes table above shows each note with its scale degree and interval from the root.
How many sharps or flats does B Whole-Half Diminished have?
The B Whole-Half 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: C♯, G♯, A♯.
What does the B Whole-Half Diminished Scale sound like?
The B Whole-Half 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

The note names, intervals, fingering, and harmony on this scale page are grounded in the following sources. Public domain treatises and scores are linked to their full text; primary data reflects piano.org's own interval-derived dataset.

  1. 1

    C. P. E. Bach(1753)

    Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2

    Hanon, Charles-Louis(1873)

    The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3

    Jadassohn, Salomon(1883)

    A Manual of Harmony

    Public domain treatise
  4. 4

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