Also written W-H, Diminished or Dim Whole
A whole-half contains A, B, C, D, D♯, E♯, F♯, and G♯. Box 1 places the root on string 4, fret 2 and string 2, fret 5.
A whole-half alternates whole and half steps from A. The ♯4 D♯ and ♯5 E♯ create the diminished flavor. Compare with A bebop melodic minor to hear the raised fifth. The scale includes a leading tone G♯.
A whole-half fits A diminished and A diminished 7th chords. Use it over A diminished progressions in jazz or metal. The leading tone resolves to A major or A minor.
Practise Box 1 first. The root sits on string 4, fret 2, and the shape covers frets 0–3.
A whole-half in box 1 runs from fret 0 to fret 3, 10 notes across 4 strings, from C on the C string at fret 0 up to C on the A string at fret 3. The root falls on the G string at fret 2 and the A string at fret 0.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1, 2 | G♯, A |
| 3 (C) | 0, 2, 3 | C, D, D♯ |
| 2 (E) | 1, 2 | E♯, F♯ |
| 1 (A) | 0, 2, 3 | A, B, C |
A whole-half in box 2 runs from fret 2 to fret 5, 12 notes across 4 strings, from D on the C string at fret 2 up to D on the A string at fret 5. The root falls on the G string at fret 2 and the E string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 2, 4, 5 | A, B, C |
| 3 (C) | 2, 3, 5 | D, D♯, E♯ |
| 2 (E) | 2, 4, 5 | F♯, G♯, A |
| 1 (A) | 2, 3, 5 | B, C, D |
A whole-half in box 3 runs from fret 5 to fret 8, 12 notes across 4 strings, from E♯ on the C string at fret 5 up to E♯ on the A string at fret 8. The root falls on the E string at fret 5.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 5, 7, 8 | C, D, D♯ |
| 3 (C) | 5, 6, 8 | E♯, F♯, G♯ |
| 2 (E) | 5, 7, 8 | A, B, C |
| 1 (A) | 5, 6, 8 | D, D♯, E♯ |
A whole-half in box 4 runs from fret 9 to fret 12, 10 notes across 4 strings, from A on the C string at fret 9 up to A on the A string at fret 12. The root falls on the C string at fret 9 and the A string at fret 12.
| String | Frets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 10, 11 | E♯, F♯ |
| 3 (C) | 9, 11, 12 | A, B, C |
| 2 (E) | 10, 11 | D, D♯ |
| 1 (A) | 9, 11, 12 | F♯, G♯, A |
Every chord here uses only notes from the scale. Tap one to open it.
A whole-half contains A, B, C, D, D♯, E♯, F♯, and G♯. The scale alternates whole and half steps. It is also called A diminished.
A whole-half fits A diminished and A diminished 7th chords. Use it over diminished progressions. The leading tone resolves to A major or A minor.
A whole-half has a ♯4 D♯ and ♯5 E♯, while A bebop melodic minor has a perfect 5th E and an added F. The whole-half scale sounds more diminished.