Here’s an effective way to expand upon your vocabulary with the diminished scale, while at the same time challenging and improving your rhythmic skills. It’s also a great way to add some vocabulary over dominant 7th chords and ii-V-I. Take a look at the example below:
Over a C7 chord I organize the diminished scale into two parts: a C major arpeggio; and the altered notes from the diminished scale. Each of these two groupings is organized into a five-note melodic cell. So if you look at the first five notes of the pattern it is simply the ascending and descending C major triad in root position. The following five notes of the pattern (starting on C#) is the ascending diminished scale.
The pattern continues, with the C major triad in it’s other two inversions follow by the diminished scale moving from whichever degree is closest to the last note from the five-note C major triad inversion.
This has a natural “five within three” feel because of the note groupings. Though everything is notated in triplets, the melodic shapes feel like quintuplets. I’ve put in accent markings to help you more easily see this. I’ve notated the pattern in all 12 keys for your reference, but if you know your diminished scales, you’ll probably be able to figure out each key pretty easily once you know it in the key of C.
Practice this with a metronome to fully appreciate the polyrhythmic tension, first with the click set on the quarter note, then on the half note. As you get more skilled and confident, try practicing it with the metronome clicking only on beat one of each measure. This is an excellent way to improve and internalize your sense of time. And finally, play it with the metronome clicking on beats 2 and 4 to get a sense of how it works with a swing feel.
If you’d like to go deeper into rhythm (and polyrhythms) please consider my ebook Rhythmic Dissonance. If you like to find more ways to use the diminished scale, please consider my ebook Diminished Scale Diatonic Triad Pairs.
Click on the link below to download a free pdf of this etude.