D# Ichikosucho Bass Scale
Bass scale — fretboard diagram
D# Ichikosucho Scale — Notes and Intervals
The D# Ichikosucho scale is an ancient Japanese court music scale used in Gagaku ceremonies. On Bass, it contains the notes D#, F, G, G#, A, A#, C, D. It has a Lydian-like structure and is used to evoke a sense of imperial majesty and historical tradition. Commonly used in Japanese, Classical, Film Scores. Notable players include Takemitsu, Hosokawa. Use over Maj7#11 in Japanese-influenced compositions. Adds cultural authenticity to Eastern-themed scores.
Notes: D#, F, G, G#, A, A#, C, D
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 4P, 5d, 5P, 6M, 7M
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Formula: W-W-H-H-H-W-W-H
Number of notes: 8
How to Play D# Ichikosucho on Bass
On bass, locate D# on the A string at fret 6. Use a one-finger-per-fret approach starting from the root and span two to three strings. Keep your fretting hand relaxed and practice shifting between positions cleanly.
The D# Ichikosucho scale contains 3 sharps (D#, G#, A#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Practice the D# Ichikosucho scale by playing it ascending with one rhythmic feel (straight eighth notes) and descending with another (swing or triplets) at 80 BPM. This dual approach trains both technical accuracy and rhythmic versatility with the 8 notes of the scale.
Experiment with simple two-chord vamps rooted on D# to let the characteristic intervals of the Ichikosucho scale come through clearly.
Bass Tips
On bass, use the D# Ichikosucho scale to build walking bass lines by targeting chord tones on strong beats and using scale tones as approach notes. This is the foundation of functional bass playing.
The D# Ichikosucho scale contains 8 notes (D#, F, G, G#, A, A#, C, D). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Bass with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for D# Ichikosucho
The D# Ichikosucho scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 8-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.