Scales & Modes
B♭ Diminished
Neck DiagramEight notes alternating whole and half steps. Symmetrical every minor third.
How it sounds, and where to use it
Often described as dark, mysterious, suspense.
How usual it sounds: spread out on the circle of fifths: it sounds exotic. (3 gaps round the circle of fifths. See its shape.)
Solo with it over:B♭dimB♭dim7
Chords on B♭ made only from this scale's notes, so every note of the scale sits safely over them.
Formula: W-H-W-H-W-H-W-H · Arpeggios in B♭ Diminished
| Step | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | B♭ | C | D♭ | E♭ | F♭ | G♭ | G | A |
| Degree | 1 | 2 | ♭3 | 4 | ♭5 | ♭6 | 6 | 7 |
| Interval | P1 | M2 | m3 | P4 | TT | m6 | M6 | M7 |
Degree and Interval are the same thing written two ways: how far each note is from the root (♭3 and m3 here). See them all on the Intervals page → Click either one in the table to open that interval.
Modes
Two octaves across; each mode starts one scale degree later and is numbered from its own root. ▶ plays a mode.
The same notes, started from each degree: the degrees against major, the steps between them, and the notes.
| # | Degrees and steps | Notes | Name(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 12♭34♭5♭6678WHWHWHWH | B♭ C D♭ E♭ F♭ G♭ G A B♭ | Diminished | |
| II | 1♭2♯23♯456♭78HWHWHWHW | C D♭ E♭ E F♯ G A B♭ C | Dominant Diminished |
Nobody has found a A♯ Diminished track yet. The root drone on the Every 7-note scale page works for any scale meanwhile.
Whatever turns up is checked by a person before it appears here.
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For more on modes, check out
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