Guitar scale · diminished scale
E Whole-Half Diminished Scale
8-note symmetrical scale of alternating whole and half steps: the scale that fits a diminished 7th chord.
Tap any note to hear it.
E Whole-Half Diminished Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|---------------------------------0-2-3-| B|---------------------------1-2-4-------| G|---------------------0-2-3-------------| D|---------------1-2-4-------------------| A|-------0-1-3-4-------------------------| E|-0-2-3---------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------2-3-5-6-| B|-----------------------------4-5---------| G|---------------------2-3-5-6-------------| D|---------------2-4-5---------------------| A|---------3-4-6---------------------------| E|-2-3-5-6---------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------5-6-8-| B|---------------------------5-7-8-------| G|---------------------5-6-8-------------| D|-------------4-5-7-8-------------------| A|-------4-6-7---------------------------| E|-5-6-8---------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------8-9-11-| B|--------------------------------8-10-11--------| G|-------------------------8-9-11----------------| D|---------------7-8-10-11-----------------------| A|--------7-9-10---------------------------------| E|-8-9-11----------------------------------------|
e|----------------------------------------------9-11-12-| B|-------------------------------------10-11-13---------| G|-----------------------------9-11-12------------------| D|--------------------10-11-13--------------------------| A|---------9-10-12-13-----------------------------------| E|-9-11-12----------------------------------------------|
How to play E Whole-Half Diminished on guitar
Find the root first: E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every E on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, ♭5, 6), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 0–4. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | E |
| 2 | F# |
| ♭3 | G |
| 4 | A |
| ♭5 | Bb |
| ♭6 | C |
| 6 | C# |
| 7 | D# |
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Questions
- What notes are in the E Whole-Half Diminished Scale?
- The E Whole-Half Diminished Scale has 8 notes: E, F#, G, A, Bb, C, C#, D#.
- What is the formula of the whole-half diminished scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 6 7, which is the step pattern W H W H W H W H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play E Whole-Half Diminished on the guitar?
- The root E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 0–4, and four more positions connect it up the neck.