Also written W-H, Diminished or Dim Whole
F whole-half contains F, G, A♭, B♭, B, C♯, D, E. Box 1 places the root on string 4, fret 1 for a compact diminished run.
F whole-half is an eight-note diminished scale built by alternating whole and half steps. It differs from F bebop melodic minor by raising the fifth to C♯ and adding B. The scale contains a tritone between F and B and a leading tone E. Compare it with F bebop melodic minor.
Use F whole-half over F diminished and F diminished 7th chords. It also fits G major, G minor, A♭ diminished, and B♭ major. The leading tone E pulls strongly to F, making it effective in dominant contexts. For chord options, see F diminished and G major.
Practise Box 1 first. It keeps the root under your first finger and spans frets 0–4, ideal for learning the alternating step pattern.
F whole-half in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 4, 14 notes across 4 strings, from E on the E string at fret 0 up to B on the G string at fret 4. The root falls on the E string at fret 1 and the D string at fret 3.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 0, 1, 3, 4 | E, F, G, A♭ |
| 3 (A) | 1, 2, 4 | B♭, B, C♯ |
| 2 (D) | 0, 2, 3 | D, E, F |
| 1 (G) | 0, 1, 3, 4 | G, A♭, B♭, B |
F whole-half in box 2 runs from fret 3 to fret 6, 11 notes across 4 strings, from G on the E string at fret 3 up to C♯ on the G string at fret 6. The root falls on the D string at fret 3.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 3, 4, 6 | G, A♭, B♭ |
| 3 (A) | 4, 5 | C♯, D |
| 2 (D) | 3, 5, 6 | F, G, A♭ |
| 1 (G) | 3, 4, 6 | B♭, B, C♯ |
F whole-half in box 3 runs from fret 6 to fret 9, 11 notes across 4 strings, from B♭ on the E string at fret 6 up to E on the G string at fret 9. The root falls on the A string at fret 8.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6, 7, 9 | B♭, B, C♯ |
| 3 (A) | 7, 8 | E, F |
| 2 (D) | 6, 8, 9 | A♭, B♭, B |
| 1 (G) | 6, 7, 9 | C♯, D, E |
F whole-half in box 4 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 11 notes across 4 strings, from C♯ on the E string at fret 9 up to G on the G string at fret 12. The root falls on the G string at fret 10.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 9, 10, 12 | C♯, D, E |
| 3 (A) | 10, 11 | G, A♭ |
| 2 (D) | 9, 11, 12 | B, C♯, D |
| 1 (G) | 9, 10, 12 | E, F, G |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
F whole-half contains F, G, A♭, B♭, B, C♯, D, E. The scale alternates whole and half steps from the root. It is an eight-note diminished scale.
F whole-half fits F diminished and F diminished 7th chords. It also works over G major, G minor, A♭ diminished, and B♭ major. The scale's leading tone E resolves to F.
F whole-half raises the fifth to C♯ and adds B compared to F bebop melodic minor. The bebop scale has a natural fifth C and no B. This gives the whole-half scale its diminished colour.