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