Guitar scale · diminished scale
G 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.
G 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|---------------------------------3-5-6-| B|---------------------------4-5-7-------| G|---------------------3-5-6-------------| D|---------------4-5-7-------------------| A|-------3-4-6-7-------------------------| E|-3-5-6---------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------5-6-8-9-| B|-----------------------------7-8---------| G|---------------------5-6-8-9-------------| D|---------------5-7-8---------------------| A|---------6-7-9---------------------------| E|-5-6-8-9---------------------------------|
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|-------------------------------------------------11-12-14-| B|----------------------------------------11-13-14----------| G|-------------------------------11-12-14-------------------| D|-------------------10-11-13-14----------------------------| A|----------10-12-13----------------------------------------| E|-11-12-14-------------------------------------------------|
e|-------------------------------------------------12-14-15-| B|----------------------------------------13-14-16----------| G|-------------------------------12-14-15-------------------| D|----------------------13-14-16----------------------------| A|----------12-13-15-16-------------------------------------| E|-12-14-15-------------------------------------------------|
How to play G Whole-Half Diminished on guitar
Find the root first: G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every G 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 3–7. 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 | G |
| 2 | A |
| ♭3 | Bb |
| 4 | C |
| ♭5 | Db |
| ♭6 | Eb |
| 6 | E |
| 7 | F# |
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Questions
- What notes are in the G Whole-Half Diminished Scale?
- The G Whole-Half Diminished Scale has 8 notes: G, A, Bb, C, Db, Eb, E, F#.
- 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 G Whole-Half Diminished on the guitar?
- The root G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 3–7, and four more positions connect it up the neck.