Db Half-Whole Scale on Guitar

Db, Ebb, E, F, G, Ab, Bb and Cb form the Db half-whole scale. Ebb is a double flat that sounds like D, and Cb sounds like B. The pitches are those of C# half-whole, with the root on the 9th fret of the low E string.

Play the Db half-whole scale

Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.

Notes of the Db half-whole scale

NoteDegreeIntervalSemitones from root
Db1Root0
Ebbb2Minor 2nd1
E#2Minor 3rd3
F3Major 3rd4
G#4Tritone6
Ab5Perfect 5th7
Bb6Major 6th9
Cbb7Minor 7th10

Structure

Db half-whole scale notes:

Db Ebb E F G Ab Bb Cb

How the half-whole scale is built:

The half-whole scale is built from the degrees 1 b2 #2 3 #4 5 6 b7, which gives the step pattern H-W-H-W-H-W-H-W (W = whole step, H = half step).

Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10. That makes it a 8-note scale.

It is also known as Diminished Scale (Half-Whole) and Octatonic.

Db Half-Whole Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

Db Half-Whole Scale scale guitar pattern - On one string (B)

On one string (B)

Db Half-Whole Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 1

Box pattern — position 1

Db Half-Whole Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 2

Box pattern — position 2

Db Half-Whole Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 3

Box pattern — position 3

Db Half-Whole Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 4

Box pattern — position 4

Db Half-Whole Scale scale guitar pattern - Box pattern — position 5

Box pattern — position 5

Db Half-Whole Scale scale guitar pattern - 3 notes per string — position 1

3 notes per string — position 1

The half-whole scale in other keys

C C# Db D D# Eb E F F# Gb G G# Ab A A# Bb B

All about the half-whole scale →

Giancarlo Facoetti, founder of FaChords Guitar

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher