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Interactive Bass Scale Guide

Bb/A# Diminished Half-Whole Bass Scale

Explore the Bb/A# Diminished Half-Whole on 4, 5, and 6-string bass fretboards with interactive looper, note charts, TAB, and metronome practice.

🎸 Open in Interactive Fretboard

4-String Bass TAB & Notation

Copy this 1-octave ASCII TAB chart or follow along with the looper above: 

G|-------------------0--1--3---|
D|----------0--2--3------------|
A|-1--2--4---------------------|
E|-----------------------------|

Scale Notes & Interval Formula

Notes: Bb - B - Db - D - E - F - G - Ab

Bb Diminished Half-Whole is the same set of pitches as A# Diminished Half-Whole; this page spells the notes from Bb.

1
Bb
Step: H
♭2
B
Step: W
♯2
Db
Step: H
3
D
Step: W
♯4
E
Step: H
5
F
Step: W
6
G
Step: H
♭7
Ab
Step: W

Interactive Fretboard Chart

Filter:

Golden badges indicate the root note; purple badges mark active scale degrees.

Nut
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
G
G
Ab
Bb
B
Db
D
E
F
G
D
D
E
F
G
Ab
Bb
B
Db
D
A
Bb
B
Db
D
E
F
G
Ab
E
E
F
G
Ab
Bb
B
Db
D
E

Musical Character & Application

Character: Dense dominant tension with repeating half-step and whole-step cells.

Typical Use: Dominant flat-nine chords, altered funk lines, jazz tension, and passing motion.

Same notes from another root: D Diminished Whole-Half. Chords on this root that sit inside it: Bb Dominant 7th chord and A# Half-Diminished chord.

See whether every note lands on a real bass in the live bass trainer, or practise it over a ready-made line from the MIDI riff packs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the Bb/A# Diminished Half-Whole bass scale?

The notes of the Bb Diminished Half-Whole bass scale are: Bb - B - Db - D - E - F - G - Ab. The degree formula is: 1 - ♭2 - ♯2 - 3 - ♯4 - 5 - 6 - ♭7. Bb Diminished Half-Whole is the same set of pitches as A# Diminished Half-Whole; this page spells the notes from Bb.

What is the musical character and typical use of the Diminished Half-Whole scale?

Dense dominant tension with repeating half-step and whole-step cells. Common musical uses: Dominant flat-nine chords, altered funk lines, jazz tension, and passing motion.

How do I practice the Bb/A# Diminished Half-Whole on 4, 5, and 6-string bass?

Use Basnote's interactive fretboard to switch between 4-string (EADG), 5-string (BEADG), and 6-string (BEADGC) charts, hear real-time audio playback, and follow animated bass TAB with adaptive tempos.