E Major Augmented Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in Baritone (B Standard) tuning — fretboard diagram
E Major Augmented in Baritone (B Standard) — Notes and Intervals
The E Major Augmented scale is an unstable and rich scale used to bridge complex dominant harmonies. On Guitar, its notes are E, F#, G#, A, C, C#, D#. It provides a shifting, liquid texture to music and is used in modern classical and jazz to avoid traditional tonal resolutions. Commonly used in Jazz, Modern Classical, Fusion. Notable players include Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock. Use over augmented and Maj7#5 chords. Creates a shimmering, unresolved quality for modern jazz and classical passages.
Notes: E, F#, G#, A, C, C#, D#
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 3M, 4P, 5A, 6M, 7M
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 #5 6 7
Formula: W-W-H-WH-H-W-H
Number of notes: 7
Tuning: Baritone (B Standard) (B-E-A-D-F#-B)
Also known as: major #5, ionian augmented, ionian #5
About Baritone (B Standard) Tuning
The baritone guitar is tuned a perfect fourth lower than standard guitar (B-E-A-D-F#-B), producing a distinctly beefy tone with serious low-end depth that sits perfectly between guitar and bass. Its rich, dark voice has made it a secret weapon in film scoring, ambient music, and moody songwriting where you need that unmistakable low-end warmth without losing clarity.
Unlike simply tuning a standard guitar down (which causes floppy strings and muddy tone), the baritone guitar uses a longer scale length (typically 27"-30") designed specifically for lower tunings. This gives each note clarity and definition even in the lowest register. Session musicians, film composers, and bedroom producers alike reach for the baritone when they need dark, atmospheric textures, doom-laden riffs, or simply a different sonic palette that standard guitar can't deliver.
Notable artists: Pat Metheny, Nels Cline, Brian Setzer, Baritone session players in Nashville
Best for: Moody songwriting, film scoring, ambient textures, doom metal, and any production that needs low-end depth with clarity
Musical Character
An unstable scale that creates a liquid, shifting texture — perfect for avoiding traditional resolutions and keeping harmony in constant motion.