Half diminished scale

The half diminished scale is a seven-note musical scale. It is more commonly known as the Locrian ♯2 scale or the Aeolian ♭5 scale, names that avoid confusion with the diminished scale and the half-diminished seventh chord (minor seventh, diminished fifth). It is the sixth mode of the ascending melodic minor scale.

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 7/4 c4^\markup { Half diminished scale on C } d es f ges aes bes c2 } }$

In the key of B♭, the half-diminished scale built on C is associated with Cm^7♭5, which functions as a ii ^ø⁷ chord in minor (see chord-scale system).

Half diminished scale

References