diminished scale

[omikron]

could someone tell me all they know about the diminished scale, i already know how to play it but i dont know how to apply it to music. thanx

[cyberfret]

There are 2 flavors of diminished scales. A diminished scale is just a series of alternating half and whole steps. So you can either think of the scale as a whole/half diminished, or a half/whole diminished. Either way it is the same fingering, it just depends on what you are thinking of as the root. And since this is a symmetrical scale, meaning that it just alternates half and whole steps, you can really think about every other note in the scale being the root. You would then just think about how the other notes in the scale relate to what you are thinking of as the root.

Here is the most basic fingering for a diminished scale....either whole/half, or half/whole...it just depends on what you are thinking of as the root.

|--1--|--2--|-----|--4--|-----|
|--1--|-----|--3--|--4--|-----|
|--1--|--2--|-----|--4--|-----|
|--1--|-----|--3--|--4--|-----|
|-----|--1--|--2--|-----|--4--|
|-----|--1--|-----|--3--|--4--|

Whole/Half Diminished

The whole/half diminished scale is used as a scale that can be played over a diminished 7th chord.

The scale formula for a whole/half diminished is 1 2 b3 4 b5 b6 6 7. Below is how that formula applies to the scale form.

The chord formula for a diminished 7 chord is 1 b3 b5 6. So you would emphasis those notes in the scale and use the others as passing tones between the chord tones.

This would be C whole/half diminished if played starting at the 8th fret.


|--7--|--1--|-----|--2--|-----|
|-b5--|-----|-b6--|--6--|-----|
|--2--|-b3--|-----|--4--|-----|
|--6--|-----|--7--|--1--|-----|
|-----|--4--|--b5-|-----|-b6--|
|-----|--1--|-----|--2--|-b3--|


Like I mentioned, since this is a symmetrical scale, you could think of the root being every other note in the scale.....not within the same scale, but for the same fingering.

Here is a C whole/half diminished scale starting at the 5th fret. Same shape as the other, but where you are thinking of the root, and the position is different.


|-b6--|--6--|-----|--7--|-----|
|-b3--|-----|--4--|-b5--|-----|
|--7--|--1--|-----|--2--|-----|
|-b5--|-----|-b6--|--6--|-----|
|-----|--2--|-b3--|-----|--4--|
|-----|--6--|-----|--7--|--1--|


Half/Whole Diminished

A half/whole diminished scale can be used over an Dominant 7 chord with the tensions b9, #9, #11, and 13.

The scale formula for a half/whole diminished scale is 1 b2 #2 3 #4 5 6 b7 (b2=b9, #2=#9, #4=#11, 6=13)

The chord formula for a Dominant 7 chord is 1 3 5 b7. The other notes in the scale...b9, #9, #11, and 13 are just extensions of the basic chord. Notes that give the chord more color.

Here is that basic scale form again, only as a half/whole diminished. I have added the half step below the first note in the form that you have already learned above, just to be able to start with a half step....that is the 1 in parentheses (1).


|--1--|-b2--|-----|-#2--|-----|
|--5--|-----|--6--|-b7--|-----|
|-#2--|--3--|-----|-#4--|-----|
|--b7-|-----|--1--|-b2--|-----|
|-----|-#4--|--5--|-----|--6--|
|-(1)-|-b2--|-----|-#2--|--3--|


Now whether you understood any of that depends on the your understanding of music theory. There are quite a few prerequisites to fully understanding what is above. But at least that will give you an idea about how diminished scale are used.


--Shawn

[omikron]

thank you for your reply. i understand all of it, i just couldnt find anything on the diminished scale subject

[flexistential]

wow... Shawn you've amazed me once again with that complex yet concise explanation... just as a matter of interest, since i'm, thinking about going back to university to study music sometime, what courses and where did you study music...? ...if you dont mind me asking that is...

[cyberfret]

Originally posted by flexistential
wow... Shawn you've amazed me once again with that complex yet concise explanation... just as a matter of interest, since i'm, thinking about going back to university to study music sometime, what courses and where did you study music...? ...if you dont mind me asking that is...

I graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston with a degree in Jazz Composition. The courses that I took would be too many to mention :) Ear training, theory, composition, music history, acoustics, etc.....

Here is also some more of my general background
http://www.cyberfret.com/about/index.php

--Shawn