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Fig. 1 · D# major pentatonic · first 12 frets

guitar scale

D♯ major pentatonic

D♯1E♯2F𝄪3A♯5B♯6

The major scale without its two half steps. Five notes, and no pair of them a half step apart.

The same sounds spelled from the other side are E♭ major pentatonic.

on ukuleleon piano

Written out

Fig. 2 · D# major pentatonic, ascending

Every accidental is written in, rather than left to a key signature, so the letters can be read one at a time.

The step pattern

D♯WE♯WF𝄪W+HA♯WB♯W+HD♯

What is true of it

D♯ major pentatonic is D♯, E♯, F𝄪, A♯ and B♯, and back to D♯.

Its steps are W – W – W+H – W – W+H, where W is a whole step and H a half.

Written correctly it needs 6 alterations, F𝄪 among them. That is what the letters force, and it is also why nobody writes music in this key: the same notes spelled from the other side are easier to read.

Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 31 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.

Chords made only of these notes

D♯major

Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 5 sounds, not chosen.

Other scales on D♯

D♯ minor pentatonicpentatonicD♯ bluespentatonicD♯ major bluespentatonicD♯ majormajorD♯ natural minorminorD♯ harmonic minorminor

C maj pentC♯ maj pentD♭ maj pentD maj pentE maj pentF maj pentF♯ maj pentG♭ maj pentall 374