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Fig. 1 · G# diminished (whole–half) · first 12 frets

guitar scale

G♯ diminished (whole–half)

G♯1A♯2B♭3C♯4D♭5E♭6E♯6F𝄪7

Eight notes alternating whole step and half step. Symmetrical, so it repeats every minor third.

The same sounds spelled from the other side are A♭ diminished (whole–half).

on ukuleleon piano

Written out

Fig. 2 · G# diminished (whole–half), ascending

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

G♯WA♯HBWC♯HDWEHE♯WF𝄪HG♯

What is true of it

G♯ diminished (whole–half) is G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D, E, E♯ and F𝄪, and back to G♯.

Its steps are W – H – W – H – W – H – W – H, where W is a whole step and H a half.

Written correctly it needs 6 alterations, F𝄪 among them. That is what the letters force, and it is also why nobody writes music in this key: the same notes spelled from the other side are easier to read.

Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 53 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.

Chords made only of these notes

C♯majorC♯mminorC♯dimdiminishedC♯7dominant seventhC♯m7minor seventhC♯m7♭5half-diminished seventhDdimdiminishedEmajor

Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 8 sounds, not chosen.

Other scales on G♯

G♯ whole tonesymmetricG♯ diminished (half–whole)symmetricG♯ majormajorG♯ natural minorminorG♯ harmonic minorminor

C dim W-HC♯ dim W-HD♭ dim W-HD dim W-HD♯ dim W-HE♭ dim W-HE dim W-HF dim W-Hall 374