D# Augmented Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in 8-string tuning — fretboard diagram
D# Augmented in 8-string — Notes and Intervals
The D# Augmented scale is a symmetrical six-note scale that sounds suspended and dreamlike. On Guitar, it contains the notes D#, E##, G, A#, B, D. Built from interlocking augmented triads, it creates a sense of high harmonic tension and is often used in jazz and film music to depict surreal states of mind. Commonly used in Jazz, Film Scores, Impressionist, Experimental. Notable players include John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Oliver Nelson. Use over augmented triads, Maj7#5 chords. Creates a high-tension, surreal quality ideal for jazz and cinematic transitions.
Notes: D#, E##, G, A#, B, D
Intervals: 1P, 2A, 3M, 5P, 5A, 7M
Degrees: 1 #2 3 4 #5 6
Formula: WH-H-WH-H-WH-H
Number of notes: 6
Tuning: 8-string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E)
About 8-string Tuning
The 8-string guitar adds both a low B and a low F# string (F#-B-E-A-D-G-B-E), pushing the instrument's range almost into bass guitar territory. This massive tonal range has become the weapon of choice for djent, progressive metal, and experimental composers who need bone-crushing low-end and soaring highs in a single instrument.
With artists like Tosin Abasi, Meshuggah, and After the Burial leading the charge, the 8-string guitar has redefined what's possible in modern heavy music. The low F# string delivers subsonic heaviness that you can feel in your chest, while the upper strings maintain standard guitar voicings for leads and clean passages. Extended-range compositions often exploit the full span of the instrument, creating a wall of sound that covers bass, rhythm, and lead guitar roles simultaneously.
Notable artists: Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, After the Burial, Intervals, Monuments
Best for: Djent polyrhythms, extended-range metal riffs, experimental compositions, and one-instrument arrangements spanning bass to lead
Musical Character
Built from two interlocking augmented triads, creating a 6-note symmetric scale that can only be transposed 4 times. It creates a shimmering, unstable beauty.
Chord Progressions Using This Scale
- I – I+ – I6 – I7 (Ascending Augmented)Classical / Pop — Hopeful & Yearning