The diminished scale is a symmetrical scale that divides the octave up into tones and semitones. It comes in two classes which are either tone-semitone-tone-semitone or semitone-tone-semitone-tone, referred to as 'whole-half diminished' of 'half-whole diminished. The symmetry of this scale produces an array of chords and patterns that can be used in creative ways. Examples 1-3 demonstrate some of the chords and patterns you can create from the scale.

Here is a more angular and jagged example that facilitates the string skipping technique. The one below that creates a symmetrical pattern that moves in parallel 4ths by minor 3rd intervals.

Here are a few more examples (without audio) for you to try. The lines are played against chords and create that 'outside' sound we discussed in 'Outside Lines and Concepts'.

As a guitarist, most of the time, you will encounter the term 'diminished', however, it is worth noting that it is sometimes referred to as the 'octatonic'. The order of the notes in the octatonic scales are the same as those in the diminished scales, so the terms can be interchangeable depending on context. Anyway, it's worthwhile knowing both in case you encounter it somewhere along your study pathway, here or elsewhere. For a short history of the octatonic scale check out my video below.