The Secrets of the Diminished Scale that Theory Professors Don't Want You to Know About
The diminished, also known as the "Octatonic" scale is known for its symmetry which is achieved by a strict alternation of half-step, whole-step, half-step, whole-step etc. G diminished scale One of the many fascinating facts about the diminished scale is its eight tones can be organized into two fully diminished 7th chords, a half step away. The two diminished chords that comprise the octatonic scale On top of that, if we invert any diminished 7th chord, we get the exact same intervals of the original chord, which results as the same shape on guitar shifted up three frets. For example, the G diminished chord above becomes B-flat diminished. B-flat diminished 7th With these two facts in mind, it can be extrapolated that any octatonic scale may be harmonized with nothing but diminished chords, as such: Fig 4: Harmonized G Octatonic Scale Yet this scale hides much more than just diminished chords. It has minor 7th, dominant 7th, major 7 sus4 #11, an...