D Batti Major Sharp Five Guitar Scale
Guitar scale — fretboard diagramIntermediate
What chords fit over D Batti Major Sharp Five?
Open D Batti Major Sharp Five HarmonizerD Batti Major Sharp Five Scale — Notes and Intervals
The D Batti Major Sharp Five scale is an Ethiopian pentatonic with a raised fifth degree that introduces an augmented quality rare among five-note scales, stretching the intervals into expansive, exotic territory. On Guitar, its notes are D, F#, G, Bb, C#. Remarkably, the same scale appears independently in Romanian folk music as Bacovia, suggesting either ancient cultural contact or a striking convergence of musical evolution across continents. Commonly used in Ethiopian, Romanian Folk, World, Experimental. Notable players include Mulatu Astatke. Use over augmented and Maj7#5 chords. The raised 5th pushes the pentatonic beyond its usual consonant comfort zone into more tense, exotic territory.
Notes: D, F#, G, Bb, C#
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 4P, 6m, 7M
Degrees: 1 2 3 b4 5
Formula: 4-H-WH-WH-H
Number of notes: 5
Musical Character
A pentatonic with a raised 5th degree, creating an augmented quality rare in pentatonic scales. The wide intervals produce an expansive, stretching sensation. Also appears in Romanian folk music under the name Bacovia.
Genres & Notable Artists
Genres: Ethiopian, Romanian Folk, World, Experimental
Notable players: Mulatu Astatke
How to Use the D Batti Major Sharp Five Scale
Use over augmented and Maj7#5 chords. The raised 5th pushes the pentatonic beyond its usual consonant comfort zone into more tense, exotic territory.
Origin & Background
From the Ethiopian kiñit system, this variant of the Batti major family features a raised 5th degree. Remarkably, the same scale appears independently in Romanian folk music, where it is known as Bacovia. This parallel suggests either ancient cultural contact or a convergent musical evolution.
How to Play D Batti Major Sharp Five on Guitar
Place your index finger at fret 10 on the 6th (low E) to find your D root note. With only 5 notes, this scale fits comfortably in a two-notes-per-string pattern across all six strings. Focus on learning a single box shape first before connecting positions.
The D Batti Major Sharp Five scale contains both sharps and flats (2 sharps, 1 flat), which is common in altered and exotic scales. This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine — Exercises for Playing
Set a metronome to 80 BPM and play the D Batti Major Sharp Five scale in groups of four notes, shifting the starting note each repetition. This builds muscle memory across the entire scale range. After a week, try improvising short 4-bar phrases using only these notes.
This scale works well over simple power chord progressions or a 12-bar blues in D. Try a D5 - Bb5 - C#5 progression. This scale is especially effective in experimental contexts.
Guitar Tips
On guitar, practice the D Batti Major Sharp Five scale on a single string from the open position to the 12th fret. This trains your ear to hear the intervals linearly and helps with slide guitar applications. Aim for a bright quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.
Related Scales
The D Batti Major Sharp Five scale contains 5 notes (D, F#, G, Bb, C#). Use the interactive fretboard diagram above to explore each shape and pattern on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges. Practice ascending and descending from the root note to learn the sound of this scale.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for D Batti Major Sharp Five
The D Batti Major Sharp Five 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 5-note pentatonic scale, 2-notes-per-string patterns are the most ergonomic way to traverse the fretboard. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.
Explore D Batti Major Sharp Five Further
- Harmonize the D Batti Major Sharp Five scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- D Batti Major Sharp Five on Ukulele
- D Batti Major Sharp Five on Bass
- D Batti Major Sharp Five on Piano
Explore D Batti Major Sharp Five in Other Tunings
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- D Batti Major Sharp Five in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)