C dominant diminished (half-whole) scale on ukulele
The C dominant diminished (half-whole) scale has 8 notes: C D♭ E♭ E F♯ G A B♭ (C, D flat, E flat, E, F sharp, G, A, and B flat).
- C 1
- D♭ D flat ♭2
- E♭ E flat ♭3
- E 3
- F♯ F sharp ♯4
- G 5
- A 6
- B♭ B flat ♭7
Whole neck: every note of the scale up to fret 15. The root (C) is highlighted.
Positions as text
Position 1 (frets 0 to 4), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 3: open (C), 1 (D♭), 3 (E♭)
- string 2: open (E), 2 (F♯), 3 (G)
- string 4: 2 (A), 3 (B♭)
- string 1: 3 (C), 4 (D♭)
Position 2 (frets 1 to 5), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 3: 1 (D♭), 3 (E♭), 4 (E)
- string 2: 2 (F♯), 3 (G), 5 (A)
- string 4: 3 (B♭), 5 (C)
- string 1: 4 (D♭)
Position 3 (frets 3 to 7), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 3: 3 (E♭), 4 (E), 6 (F♯)
- string 2: 3 (G), 5 (A), 6 (B♭)
- string 4: 5 (C), 6 (D♭)
- string 1: 6 (E♭), 7 (E)
Position 4 (frets 4 to 8), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 3: 4 (E), 6 (F♯), 7 (G)
- string 2: 5 (A), 6 (B♭), 8 (C)
- string 4: 6 (D♭), 8 (E♭)
- string 1: 7 (E)
Position 5 (frets 6 to 10), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 3: 6 (F♯), 7 (G), 9 (A)
- string 2: 6 (B♭), 8 (C), 9 (D♭)
- string 4: 8 (E♭), 9 (E)
- string 1: 9 (F♯), 10 (G)
Position 6 (frets 7 to 11), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 3: 7 (G), 9 (A), 10 (B♭)
- string 2: 8 (C), 9 (D♭), 11 (E♭)
- string 4: 9 (E), 11 (F♯)
- string 1: 10 (G)
Position 7 (frets 9 to 13), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 3: 9 (A), 10 (B♭), 12 (C)
- string 2: 9 (D♭), 11 (E♭), 12 (E)
- string 4: 11 (F♯), 12 (G)
- string 1: 12 (A), 13 (B♭)
Position 8 (frets 10 to 14), from the lowest note to the highest:
- string 3: 10 (B♭), 12 (C), 13 (D♭)
- string 2: 11 (E♭), 12 (E), 14 (F♯)
- string 4: 12 (G), 14 (A)
- string 1: 13 (B♭)
Fretboard positions
Each position fits within 5 frets, with 2 to 3 notes per string, and starts on a scale note on the lowest string. Position 1 starts on the root (C).
Use Degrees to see the role of each note (1 is the root) and Listen to hear the selected position going up and down.
Formula
- C
- H
- D♭
- W
- E♭
- H
- E
- W
- F♯
- H
- G
- W
- A
- H
- B♭
- W
- C
Degrees: 1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 3 · ♯4 · 5 · 6 · ♭7. Steps: H – W – H – W – H – W – H – W (W = whole step, H = half step).
About the dominant diminished (half-whole) scale
Alternates half and whole steps. Used over dominant chords with an altered 9th, in jazz.
Scales with the same notes
More C scales
- Major
- Natural minor
- Harmonic minor
- Melodic minor
- Major pentatonic
- Minor pentatonic
- Blues
- Major blues
- Dorian
- Phrygian
- Lydian
- Mixolydian
- Locrian
- Nordestina (Brazilian baião)
- Phrygian dominant
- Whole-tone
- Diminished (whole-half)
- Dominant diminished (half-whole)
Dominant diminished (half-whole) in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the C dominant diminished (half-whole) scale?
The notes of the C dominant diminished (half-whole) scale are C, D flat, E flat, E, F sharp, G, A, and B flat. The root, degree 1, is C.
What is the formula of the C dominant diminished (half-whole) scale?
In degrees: 1 · ♭2 · ♭3 · 3 · ♯4 · 5 · 6 · ♭7. In steps between the notes: H – W – H – W – H – W – H – W (W = whole step, H = half step).
How do you play the C dominant diminished (half-whole) scale on ukulele?
Each position fits within 5 frets, with 2 to 3 notes per string, and starts on a scale note on the lowest string. Position 1 starts on the root (C). There are 8 positions on ukulele, each with the full fingering.