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C♯ Whole-Half Diminished Scale

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

C♯ – D♯ – E – F♯ – G – A – A♯ – B♯ – C♯
Formula:W-H-W-H-W-H-W-H
Intervals:P1-M2-m3-P4-d5-m6-M6-M7

Introduction

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

C♯ Whole-Half Diminished Scale Notes

DegreeNameNoteInterval
1TonicC♯P1
2SupertonicD♯M2
3MediantEm3
4SubdominantF♯P4
5DominantGd5
6SubmediantAm6
7Leading ToneA♯M6
8OctaveB♯M7
9Degree 9C♯

Key Signature

The key of C# Whole-Half 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♯ Whole-Half Diminished Scale

These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the C♯ Whole-Half 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♯ Whole-Half Diminished Scale — Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the C# Whole-Half Diminished Scale?
The C# Whole-Half Diminished Scale contains eight notes: C# – D# – E – F# – G – A – 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# Whole-Half Diminished have?
The key of C# Whole-Half 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# Whole-Half Diminished Scale sound like?
The C# 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.