Diminished Scales & Exercises

Standard tuning
= 120
The diminished scale is octatonic, meaning there are 8 notes in the scale as opposed to most common scales that contain 7 or the pentatonic which contains 5.
The anatomy of this scale allows for the fingerings to repeat themselves as you go up the scale practicing it in different inversions.
There are primarily 2 different fingerings for this scale.
I have written them out for all 8 positions but you'll notice that the fingerings only vary between two configurations.
Symmetrical Ascending 16th Note Pattern

1 2
11 12 14 15
10 11 13 14
od.guit.

8 9 11 12
7 8 10 11
6 7 9 10
5 6 8 9

Pattern 1

3 4
3 5 6
4 5 7
3 5 6
4 5 7
4 6 7
5 6 8

3 3 3 3 3 3

Pattern 2

5 6
5 6 8
5 7 8
5 6 8
5 7 8
6 7 9
6 8 9

3 3 3 3 3 3

Pattern 1 (Adaptation 1)

7 8
6 8 9
7 8 10
6 8 9
7 8 10
7 9 10
8 9 11

3 3 3 3 3 3

Pattern 2 (Adaptation 1)

9 10
8 9 11
8 10 11
8 9 11
8 10 11
9 10 12
9 11 12

3 3 3 3 3 3

Pattern 1 (Adaptation 2)

11 12
9 11 12
10 11 13
9 11 12
10 11 13
10 12 13
11 12 14

3 3 3 3 3 3

1/8
 Pattern 2 (Adaptation 2)

13 14
11 12 14
11 13 14
11 12 14
11 13 14
12 13 15
12 14 15

3 3 3 3 3 3

Pattern 1 (Adaptation 3)

15 16
12 14 15
13 14 16
12 14 15
13 14 16
13 15 16
14 15 17

3 3 3 3 3 3

Pattern 2 (Adaptation 3)

17 18
14 15 17
14 16 17
14 15 17
14 16 17
15 16 18
15 17 18

3 3 3 3 3 3

Pattern 1 Exercise 1

19 20

3 3 5
4 4 5 4 5 7 4 5 7 5 7
4 4 6 4 6 7 4 6 7 6 7 7
5 6 8 6 8 8

21 22
3 3 5 3 5 6 5 3 5
4 4 5 4 5 7 4 5 7 5 7 7 7
3 5 6 3 5 6 5 6 6
7

23 24
3 3
7 5 7 5 4 7 5 4 5 4 4
6 6 5 6 5 3 6 5 3 5 3 3
7 7 5 7 5 4 7

25 26

5 4 5 4 4
7 7 6 7 6 4 7 6 4 6 4 4
8 8 6 8 6 5 3 5

2/8
 Pattern 1 Exercise 2

27 28
4 5
5 3 6 6 3 6
5 7 7 8 4 7 5 4 7 5 4 7
6 4 7 6 4 7 6 7
5 8 6 8

29 30
3 5 3 6 3 6 8 5
4 7 5 4 7 5 4 7
5 3 6 5 3 6 5
5 7

Position 2 Exercise 1

31 32

5 5 6
5 5 7 5 7 8 5 7 8 7 8
6 6 7 6 7 9 6 7 9 7 9 9
6 8 9 8 9 9

33 34
5 5 6 5 6 8 6 5 6
5 5 7 5 7 8 5 7 8 7 8 8 8
5 6 8 5 6 8 6 8 8
8

35 36
5 5
8 7 8 7 5 8 7 5 7 5 5
8 8 6 8 6 5 8 6 5 6 5 5
8 8 7 8 7 5 8

37 38

7 5 7 5 5
9 9 7 9 7 6 9 7 6 7 6 6
9 9 8 9 8 6 5 6

Position 2 Exercise 2

39 40
5 7
5 6 5 8 6 5 8
7 8 8 5 8 7 5 8 7 5 8
7 6 9 7 6 9 7 9
6 9 8 9

3/8
41 42
5 6 5 8 5 8 9 6
5 8 7 5 8 7 5 8
6 5 8 6 5 8 6
7 8

Pattern 1 (Adaptation 1) Exercise 1

43 44

6 6 8
7 7 8 7 8 10 7 8 10 8 10
7 7 9 7 9 10 7 9 10 9 10 10
8 9 11 9 11 11

45 46
6 6 8 6 8 9 8 6 8
7 7 8 7 8 10 7 8 10 8 10 10 10
6 8 9 6 8 9 8 9 9
10

47 48
6 6
10 8 10 8 7 10 8 7 8 7 7
9 9 8 9 8 6 9 8 6 8 6 6
10 10 8 10 8 7 10

49 50

8 7 8 7 7
10 10 9 10 9 7 10 9 7 9 7 7
11 11 9 11 9 8 6 8

Pattern 1 (Adaptation 1) Exercise 2

51 52
7 8
8 6 9 9 6 9
8 10 10 11 7 10 8 7 10 8 7 10
9 7 10 9 7 10 9 10
8 11 9 11

53 54
6 8 6 9 6 9 11 8
7 10 8 7 10 8 7 10
8 6 9 8 6 9 8
8 10

4/8
 Pattern 2 (Adaptation 1) Exercise 1

55 56

8 8 9
8 8 10 8 10 11 8 10 11 10 11
9 9 10 9 10 12 9 10 12 10 12 12
9 11 12 11 12 12

57 58
8 8 9 8 9 11 9 8 9
8 8 10 8 10 11 8 10 11 10 11 11 11
8 9 11 8 9 11 9 11 11
11

59 60
8 8
11 10 11 10 8 11 10 8 10 8 8
11 11 9 11 9 8 11 9 8 9 8 8
11 11 10 11 10 8 11

61 62

10 8 10 8 8
12 12 10 12 10 9 12 10 9 10 9 9
12 12 11 12 11 9 8 9

Pattern 2 (Adaptation 1) Exercise 2

63 64
8 10
8 9 8 11 9 8 11
10 11 11 8 11 10 8 11 10 8 11
10 9 12 10 9 12 10 12
9 12 11 12

65 66
8 9 8 11 8 11 12 9
8 11 10 8 11 10 8 11
9 8 11 9 8 11 9
10 11

Pattern 1 (Adaptation 2) Exercise 1

67 68

9 9 11
10 10 11 10 11 13 10 11 13 11 13
10 10 12 10 12 13 10 12 13 12 13 13
11 12 14 12 14 14

5/8
69 70
9 9 11 9 11 12 11 9 11
10 10 11 10 11 13 10 11 13 11 13 13 13
9 11 12 9 11 12 11 12 12
13

71 72
9 9
13 11 13 11 10 13 11 10 11 10 10
12 12 11 12 11 9 12 11 9 11 9 9
13 13 11 13 11 10 13

73 74

11 10 11 10 10
13 13 12 13 12 10 13 12 10 12 10 10
14 14 12 14 12 11 9 11

Pattern 1 (Adaptation 2) Exercise 2

75 76
10 11
11 9 12 12 9 12
11 13 13 14 10 13 11 10 13 11 10 13
12 10 13 12 10 13 12 13
11 14 12 14

77 78
9 11 9 12 9 12 14 11
10 13 11 10 13 11 10 13
11 9 12 11 9 12 11
11 13

Pattern 2 (Adaptation 2) Exercise 1

79 80

11 11 12
11 11 13 11 13 14 11 13 14 13 14
12 12 13 12 13 15 12 13 15 13 15 15
12 14 15 14 15 15

81 82
11 11 12 11 12 14 12 11 12
11 11 13 11 13 14 11 13 14 13 14 14 14
11 12 14 11 12 14 12 14 14
14

83 84
11 11
14 13 14 13 11 14 13 11 13 11 11
14 14 12 14 12 11 14 12 11 12 11 11
14 14 13 14 13 11 14

6/8
85 86

13 11 13 11 11
15 15 13 15 13 12 15 13 12 13 12 12
15 15 14 15 14 12 11 12

Pattern 2 (Adaptation 2) Exercise 2

87 88
11 13
11 12 11 14 12 11 14
13 14 14 11 14 13 11 14 13 11 14
13 12 15 13 12 15 13 15
12 15 14 15

89 90
11 12 11 14 11 14 15 12
11 14 13 11 14 13 11 14
12 11 14 12 11 14 12
13 14

Pattern 1 (Adaptation 3) Exercise 1

91 92

12 12 14
13 13 14 13 14 16 13 14 16 14 16
13 13 15 13 15 16 13 15 16 15 16 16
14 15 17 15 17 17

93 94
12 12 14 12 14 15 14 12 14
13 13 14 13 14 16 13 14 16 14 16 16 16
12 14 15 12 14 15 14 15 15
16

95 96
12 12
16 14 16 14 13 16 14 13 14 13 13
15 15 14 15 14 12 15 14 12 14 12 12
16 16 14 16 14 13 16

97 98

14 13 14 13 13
16 16 15 16 15 13 16 15 13 15 13 13
17 17 15 17 15 14 12 14

Pattern 1 (Adaptation 3) Exercise 2

99 100
13 14
14 12 15 15 12 15
14 16 16 17 13 16 14 13 16 14 13 16
15 13 16 15 13 16 15 16
14 17 15 17

7/8
101 102
12 14 12 15 12 15 17 14
13 16 14 13 16 14 13 16
14 12 15 14 12 15 14
14 16

8/8