guitar scale
E diminished (whole–half)
E1F♯2G♭3A4B♭♭5C♭6C♯6D♯7
Eight notes alternating whole step and half step. Symmetrical, so it repeats every minor third.
Written out
Every accidental is written in, rather than left to a key signature, so the letters can be read one at a time.
The step pattern
EWF♯HGWAHB♭WCHC♯WD♯HE
What is true of it
E diminished (whole–half) is E, F♯, G, A, B♭, C, C♯ and D♯, and back to E.
Its steps are W – H – W – H – W – H – W – H, where W is a whole step and H a half.
Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 52 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.
Chords made only of these notes
CmajorCmminorCdimdiminishedC7dominant seventhCm7minor seventhCm7♭5half-diminished seventhC♯dimdiminishedD♯major
Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 8 sounds, not chosen.
Other scales on E
E whole tonesymmetricE diminished (half–whole)symmetricE majormajorE natural minorminorE harmonic minorminor
C dim W-HC♯ dim W-HD♭ dim W-HD dim W-HD♯ dim W-HE♭ dim W-HF dim W-HF♯ dim W-Hall 374