B♭ diminished (half-whole) (Bb diminished (half-whole)) scale on tenor sax
B♭ diminished (half-whole) has 8 notes: B♭ B D♭ D E F G A♭. Degrees: 1 ♭2 ♭3 3 ♭5 5 6 ♭7. Formula: H W H W H W H W.
What notes are in the B♭ diminished (half-whole) scale?
B♭, B, D♭, D, E, F, G and A♭. It has 8 notes; its formula in whole and half steps is H W H W H W H W.
What does B♭ diminished (half-whole) sound like, and when do you use it?
Symmetric: it repeats every three semitones. Elegant tension. Use it over 7♭9 (diminished dominant).
Chord progressions to improvise with B♭ diminished (half-whole)
In Jam mode (the Jam button above) a band of grand piano, upright bass and drums (recorded instruments) plays these progressions as swing, bossa, groove or ballad, and the staff lights up the notes of each chord as it plays. It's a backing track made for this scale in B♭:
- Symmetric (I7♭9–♭III7♭9–♭V7♭9–VI7♭9): B♭7♭9 | D♭7♭9 | F♭7♭9 | G7♭9. The same chord moving up in minor thirds: the scale doesn't change. That's how symmetric it is.
B♭ diminished (half-whole) on tenor sax: written notes and fingerings
The tenor sax is a B♭ instrument: written B♭ diminished (half-whole) sounds A♭ diminished (half-whole) in concert pitch. Fingering for each note, from low to high (left hand | right hand):
- B♭: 1 | – + bis (B♭)
- B: 1 | –
- D♭: – | –
- D: 123 | 123 + octave key
- E: 123 | 12 + octave key
- F: 123 | 1 + octave key
- G: 123 | – + octave key
- A♭: 123 | – + octave key + G♯
- B♭: 1 | – + octave key + bis (B♭)
Same notes as
D♭ diminished (half-whole) · E diminished (half-whole) · G diminished (half-whole) · D diminished (whole-half) · F diminished (whole-half) · A♭ diminished (whole-half) · B diminished (whole-half)
Diminished (half-whole) in other keys
On other instruments
B♭ diminished (half-whole) on piano · B♭ diminished (half-whole) on guitar · B♭ diminished (half-whole) on bass · B♭ diminished (half-whole) on ukulele · B♭ diminished (half-whole) on mandolin · B♭ diminished (half-whole) on banjo · B♭ diminished (half-whole) on violin · B♭ diminished (half-whole) on viola · B♭ diminished (half-whole) on cello · B♭ diminished (half-whole) on alto sax · B♭ diminished (half-whole) on trumpet · B♭ diminished (half-whole) on flute · All scales