D♯ diminished (whole–half)

D♯1E♯2F♯♭3G♯4A♭5B♭6B♯6C𝄪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 E♭ diminished (whole–half).

on guitar on ukulele

Written out

Fig. 2 · D# 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

D♯WE♯HF♯WG♯HAWBHB♯WC𝄪HD♯

What is true of it

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

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 7 alterations, C𝄪 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.

Chords made only of these notes

D♯dimdiminished F♯dimdiminished G♯major G♯mminor G♯dimdiminished G♯7dominant seventh G♯m7minor seventh G♯m7♭5half-diminished seventh

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

Other scales on D♯

D♯ whole tonesymmetric D♯ diminished (half–whole)symmetric D♯ majormajor D♯ natural minorminor D♯ harmonic minorminor

C dim W-H C♯ dim W-H D♭ dim W-H D dim W-H E dim W-H F dim W-H F♯ dim W-H G♭ dim W-H all 374