B Diminished Scale (Half-Whole)

Notes in the B Diminished Scale (Half-Whole)

Interval Pattern

Chords Built on Scale Degrees

Key Signature

5 ♯ — The B key signature uses F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯.

B Diminished Scale (Half-Whole) in Practice

The B Diminished Scale (Half-Whole) uses the key signature of 5 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯). B major has five sharps and a bright, somewhat tense quality. Enharmonically equivalent to Cb major, it is used in orchestral writing and some jazz compositions. On guitar, B positions offer open-string resonance for fingering positions for this scale.

The half-whole diminished scale alternates half and whole steps, creating an 8-note symmetrical scale ideal for dominant chord improvisation and tension-building in jazz. When played starting on B, the 8 notes are B, C, D, D♯, F, F♯, G♯, A. In this key the signature has 5 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯). B sits at the boundary of comfortable sharp keys with 5 sharps, often used in orchestral writing for brilliance and in jazz for challenging ii-V-I exercises. Guitarists can play in B using barre chords at the second and seventh frets, and the key is common in pop and R&B music when vocalists prefer its tessitura.

Tuning Frequencies Across Temperaments

Frequencies shown at A=440 Hz. View full temperament data for any note.

Related Scales

Guitar: B Diminished Scale (Half-Whole) Positions

The B key offers 5 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯) on guitar. Sharp-side keys like B are idiomatic guitar keys because open strings (E, A, D, G, B, E) align with the scale's natural resonance points.