The Major-minor diminished scale is a 9-note scale including the octave at both ends. It’s a Major-minor scale because the interval between the first and second note is a Major 2nd, or a whole step. The interval between the second and third note is a minor 2nd, or a half step. The intervals continue to alternate between whole and half steps until the top of the scale is reached. Here’s an example-

C D-Eb F-Gb Ab-A B-C

(Notes with a space between them are a whole step apart. Notes with a “-“ connecting them are a half step apart.)

The reason this is a diminished scale is that the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th notes form a diminished, sometimes called full-diminished, seventh chord. (Watch the video entitled “Seventh Chords- a basic introduction” to see what that is and how it’s formed.)

IMPORTANT- THIS SCALE IS CHALLENGING. ENHARMONICS ARE CHOSEN BASED ON WHICH NAME WOULD BE MOST LOGICAL WHEN THINKING OF AND PLAYING THE SCALE. (FOR EXAMPLE, SOME SCALES HAVE A B# INSTEAD OF A C.).

For each scale video below, information is given and then is gradually removed.

• The metronome is set at 100.

• There are four preparation beats.

• The scale will then be played three times.

• The top note is not repeated.

• In every scale, the last note is held for four beats.

• There will be four beats between the repetitions.

• The first time the scale is played, each note (except for the last one) gets two beats. Every note name and slide position used will be displayed. Read from left to right when you ascend (go up) and then back from right to left when you descend (go down).

• The second time the scale is played, each note (except for the last one) gets one beat. Every note name will be displayed. Slide positions will not.

• The third time the scale is played, there are two notes per beat, except for the last note. Nothing is displayed. When you practice this repetition, you’ll see that the alternate positions make playing the scale much easier than if you were to use the more common positions.