About the D sharp Leading Whole Tone scale
D sharp Leading Whole Tone is used for jazz and cinematic writing. Think of it as a whole-tone scale with a leading tone added on top. It is D♯ Lydian Augmented with the sixth raised.
Its notes are D♯, E♯, F♯♯, G♯♯, A♯♯, B♯♯, and C♯♯. The formula is W W W W W H H.
The key shares A, D, G, and B with the guitar's open strings. The 6th fret of the A string is the lowest D♯ on the neck. With a capo at the first fret, D♯ Leading Whole Tone can be played with D-shape fingerings.
Positions
Playable shapes for this scale up the neck. Tap any note to hear it.
CAGED
Five shapes, each anchored to a chord form you already know, the pop and rock default that ties your scales to your chords. The outlined notes are that chord, so you can see the C, A, G, E, and D shapes inside the scale.
3NPS
3NPS stands for 3 notes per string. It lays the scale out in seven even shapes for rock and metal lead, and favors speed because the picking pattern stays consistent across every string.
7-position system
7 four-fret boxes, one per scale degree, each a single hand position with almost no shifting. The jazz and classical way, from William Leavitt's Berklee method.
Notes and intervals
| 1 | D#D♯ | Root |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | E#E♯ | Major 2nd |
| 3 | F##F♯♯ | Major 3rd |
| 4 | G##G♯♯ | Augmented 4th |
| 5 | A##A♯♯ | Augmented 5th |
| 6 | B##B♯♯ | Augmented 6th |
| 7 | C##C♯♯ | Major 7th |
| Steps | W W W W W H H |
|---|---|
| Semitones | 2-2-2-2-2-1-1 |
| Degrees | 1 2 3 ♯4 ♯5 ♯6 7 |
Shapes
Chromatic
Circle of Fifths
Related scales
Leading Whole Tone in other keys
Modes
The same notes, starting on a different note.
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