STRINGSCALES

D ichikosucho Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: E, F#, G, Ab, A, B, C#, D, E at frets 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12

A string: A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G, Ab, A at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12

D string: D, E, F#, G, Ab, A, B, C#, D at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12

G string: G, Ab, A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G at frets 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12

B string: B, C#, D, E, F#, G, Ab, A, B at frets 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12

High E string: E, F#, G, Ab, A, B, C#, D, E at frets 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12

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D ichikosucho

The ichikosucho scale is a major scale with an added flat 5th, eight notes catalogued from Japanese sources. The extra note bridges the 4th and 5th chromatically, letting otherwise plain major lines pivot briefly through a blues-tinged shadow. It behaves like a major scale with a built-in passing tone rather than an exotic mode.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

D

I

E

II

F♯

III

G

IV

A♭

bV

A

V

B

VI

C♯

VII

Same notes, different mode

D ichikosucho uses the same notes as the scales below. Start from a different note and you get a new mode built on the very same note set.

E bebop minorA bebopC# bebop locrian

ichikosucho in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Play D ichikosucho as a major scale with a built-in blue note: the added flat 5th (Ab) bridges IV and V chromatically.
  • Use the b5 (Ab) in passing on upbeats, exactly like the blues scale treats it, while everything else stays diatonic major.
  • Try it over a I-IV change in D: the b5 (Ab) doubles as the sharp 4th leading into the IV chord's major 3rd... wait for that resolution.
  • Contrast it with plain D major in the same solo; the single extra note is more striking when it is rationed.

How to play D ichikosucho on guitar

Open D string is a root and the open A is its fifth, so a two-string pedal is available before you fret anything. All six open strings are in scale, which lets you drop open notes into a fretted line without leaving the key. Fretted roots start at fret 3, B string. Lowest root is fret 10 on the low E, and the shift out of box one falls at fret 14.

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