Guitar UpscaleOctatonic Scale on guitar
The octatonic scale is another name for the half whole diminished scale, eight notes in alternating steps.
This scale has the same notes as the Diminished (Half Whole) scale. The app lists it under both names.
| Notes in A | A Bb B# C# D# E F# G |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1 b2 #2 3 #4 5 6 b7 |
| Steps | H W H W H W H W (W whole step, H half step) |
| Note count | 8 |
| Style in the app | Special, scale "Octatonic" |
Play the A Octatonic Scale on the fretboard in Guitar Upscale
About the Octatonic Scale
Octatonic means eight notes. The version in the app steps half, whole, half, whole: the same notes as the half whole diminished scale.
Stravinsky and Messiaen used it in their music. Jazz players use it over 7b9 chords.
Its shape repeats every three frets, so one fingering covers four keys.
Intervals from the root
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | In A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A |
| b2 | Minor 2nd | 1 | Bb |
| #2 | Minor 3rd | 3 | B# |
| 3 | Major 3rd | 4 | C# |
| #4 | Tritone | 6 | D# |
| 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 | E |
| 6 | Major 6th | 9 | F# |
| b7 | Minor 7th | 10 | G |
Same notes, another starting note
Start the A Octatonic Scale on another of its notes and you get these scales:
- From degree b2 (Bb): Bb Diminished scale
- From degree 3 (C#): C# Diminished scale
- From degree 5 (E): E Diminished scale
- From degree b7 (G): G Diminished scale
Octatonic Scale in every key
| Key | Notes | Play it |
|---|---|---|
| C | C Db D# E F# G A Bb | Open |
| C# | C# D E E# G G# A# B | Open |
| D | D Eb E# F# G# A B C | Open |
| Eb | Eb Fb F# G A Bb C Db | Open |
| E | E F G G# A# B C# D | Open |
| F | F Gb G# A B C D Eb | Open |
| F# | F# G A A# B# C# D# E | Open |
| G | G Ab A# B C# D E F | Open |
| G# | G# A B B# D D# E# F# | Open |
| A | A Bb B# C# D# E F# G | Open |
| Bb | Bb Cb C# D E F G Ab | Open |
| B | B C D D# E# F# G# A | Open |
More Special scales
- Chromatic Scale
- Whole Tone Scale
- Leading Whole Tone
- Diminished (Whole Half)
- Diminished (Half Whole)
- Diminished Whole Tone
- Augmented Scale
- Enigmatic Scale
- Nine Tone Scale
- Overtone (Lydian Dominant)
- Six Tone Symmetrical
- Altered Scale (Super Locrian)
- Lydian Diminished
- Lydian #2
- Locrian #2 (Half Diminished)
- Locrian Natural 6
- Ultralocrian
- Ionian #5
- Ten Tone Dominant
- Ten Tone Harmonic
- Ten Tone Minor