A# Ichikosucho Ukulele Scale
Ukulele scale — fretboard diagram
A# Ichikosucho Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A# Ichikosucho scale is an ancient Japanese court music scale used in Gagaku ceremonies. On Ukulele, it contains the notes A#, C, D, D#, E, F, G, A. 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: A#, C, D, D#, E, F, G, A
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 A# Ichikosucho on Ukulele
On ukulele, find A# on the open strings or work through the scale within a four-fret span. You may need to shift positions once to cover all 8 notes. Practice each position separately before linking them together.
The A# Ichikosucho scale contains 2 sharps (A#, D#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Practice the A# 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 A# to let the characteristic intervals of the Ichikosucho scale come through clearly.
Ukulele Tips
The compact fretboard of the ukulele makes the A# Ichikosucho scale easy to visualize in a single position. Use this to your advantage by memorizing the scale shape relative to chord shapes you already know.
The A# Ichikosucho scale contains 8 notes (A#, C, D, D#, E, F, G, A). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for A# Ichikosucho
The A# 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.
Explore A# Ichikosucho Further
- Harmonize the A# Ichikosucho scale — triads & 7th chords
- Browse chord progressions
- A# Ichikosucho on Guitar
- A# Ichikosucho on Bass
- A# Ichikosucho on Piano