F# Diminished Scale (Half-Whole)
Notes in the F# Diminished Scale (Half-Whole)
| Degree | Name | Note | Frequency (A=440) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | F# | 369.994 Hz |
| ♭2 | Altered 2nd | G | 391.995 Hz |
| ♭3 | Minor Mediant | A | 440.000 Hz |
| 3 | Major Mediant | A# | 466.164 Hz |
| ♯4 | Tritone | C | 261.626 Hz |
| 5 | Dominant | C# | 277.183 Hz |
| 6 | Major Submediant | D# | 311.127 Hz |
| ♭7 | Subtonic | E | 329.628 Hz |
Interval Pattern
| Step | Interval | Semitones | From Note | To Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Half Step (H) | 1 | F# | G |
| 2 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | G | A |
| 3 | Half Step (H) | 1 | A | A# |
| 4 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | A# | C |
| 5 | Half Step (H) | 1 | C | C# |
| 6 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | C# | D# |
| 7 | Half Step (H) | 1 | D# | E |
| 8 | Whole Step (W) | 2 | E | F# |
Chords Built on Scale Degrees
| Degree | Note | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F# | F# diminished | diminished |
| ♭2 | G | G diminished | diminished |
| ♭3 | A | A diminished | diminished |
| 3 | A# | A# diminished | diminished |
| ♯4 | C | C diminished | diminished |
| 5 | C# | C# diminished | diminished |
| 6 | D# | D# diminished | diminished |
| ♭7 | E | E diminished | diminished |
Key Signature
6 ♯ — The F# key signature uses F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#.
F# Diminished Scale (Half-Whole) in Practice
The F# Diminished Scale (Half-Whole) uses the key signature of 6 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#). F# major has six sharps and is enharmonically equivalent to Gb major. It is used when a sharp key is preferred over the flat alternative in notation. On guitar, F# 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.
Tuning Frequencies Across Temperaments
Frequencies shown at A=440 Hz. View full temperament data for any note.
| Note | Equal Temp. | Pythagorean | Just Intonation |
|---|---|---|---|
| F# | 369.994 Hz | 371.251 Hz | 367.911 Hz |
| G | 391.995 Hz | 391.111 Hz | 392.438 Hz |
| A | 440.000 Hz | 440.000 Hz | 436.043 Hz |
| A# | 466.164 Hz | 463.538 Hz | 470.926 Hz |
| C | 261.626 Hz | 260.740 Hz | 261.626 Hz |
| C# | 277.183 Hz | 278.437 Hz | 279.067 Hz |
| D# | 311.127 Hz | 309.026 Hz | 313.951 Hz |
| E | 329.628 Hz | 330.001 Hz | 327.032 Hz |
Related Scales
Guitar: F# Diminished Scale (Half-Whole) Positions
The F# key offers 6 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E#) on guitar. Sharp-side keys like F# are idiomatic guitar keys because open strings (E, A, D, G, B, E) align with the scale's natural resonance points.