Scale · Piano
B♭ Diminished Half-Whole Scale · Piano
Interactive keyboard
Highlighted notes form this scale.
Notes
B♭ · C♭ · C♯ · D · E · F · G · A♭
Root: B♭
Intervals
1 · ♭2 · ♯2 · 3 · ♯4 · 5 · 6 · ♭7
How it is built
This scale starts on B♭ and applies the intervals 1, ♭2, ♯2, 3, ♯4, 5, 6, ♭7. The result contains 8 distinct pitch classes per octave.
Explore related combinations
Guide and musical context
About B♭ Diminished Half-Whole Piano Scale
B♭ Diminished Half-Whole Piano scale uses the notes B♭, C♭, C♯, D, E, F, G, A♭. Its character is symmetric and highly tense, alternating half step and whole step.
Character and sound
Symmetric and highly tense, alternating half step and whole step.
Musical context and history
Half–whole diminished is a symmetric octatonic scale. Its repeating structure makes it especially useful over dominant chords with ♭9, ♯9, ♭5 or ♯5.
How and where it is used
It is a classic jazz resource over altered dominants and also appears in contemporary music and film scoring.
On piano, the notes can be distributed between both hands and across different octaves. The interactive keyboard makes it easy to verify pitches and experiment with inversions or registers without changing the harmony. Everything you see and hear on this page comes from the same note set shown above.
Harmonic and musical relationships
A practical way to understand this scale is to compare it with the major and minor scales starting on B♭. The altered notes are exactly what create its characteristic color.
The formula on this page is 1 · ♭2 · ♯2 · 3 · ♯4 · 5 · 6 · ♭7 and, from B♭, produces the notes B♭ · C♭ · C♯ · D · E · F · G · A♭.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the B♭ Diminished Half-Whole Piano scale?
The notes are B♭, C♭, C♯, D, E, F, G, A♭.
What is its interval formula?
The formula is 1 · ♭2 · ♯2 · 3 · ♯4 · 5 · 6 · ♭7.
How does it sound and what is it used for?
Symmetric and highly tense, alternating half step and whole step. It is a classic jazz resource over altered dominants and also appears in contemporary music and film scoring.
How can I check it on Piano?
Use the interactive diagram on this page and press Play or Note by note. The highlighted positions, written notes and playback all use the same pitch collection.