Fretwise Get the app

Guitar scale · Ionian augmented

B Ionian #5 Scale

Mode 3 of Harmonic Minor: the major scale with a raised 5th, also called Ionian augmented.

Notes BC#D#EGG#A#
Formula 1 2 3 4 ♯5 6 7
Steps W W H W+H H W H
Mood Bright, Floating, Unresolved
Heard in Modal Improvisation, Jazz

Interactive scale diagram

B Ionian #5 Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

Tap any note to hear it.

B Ionian #5 Scale tab: all 5 positions

Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.

Position 1 · E shape frets 7–11
e|----------------------------------7-9-11-|
B|---------------------------8-9-11--------|
G|-----------------------8-9---------------|
D|----------------8-9-11-------------------|
A|--------7-10-11--------------------------|
E|-7-9-11----------------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 9–13
e|----------------------------------------9-11-12-|
B|----------------------------------11-12---------|
G|--------------------------9-12-13---------------|
D|------------------9-11-13-----------------------|
A|---------10-11-13-------------------------------|
E|-9-11-12----------------------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 11–15
e|-------------------------------------------11-12-15-|
B|-------------------------------------12-14----------|
G|----------------------------12-13-15----------------|
D|-------------------11-13-14-------------------------|
A|----------11-13-14----------------------------------|
E|-11-12-15-------------------------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 14–18
e|-------------------------------------------15-16-18-|
B|-------------------------------------16-17----------|
G|----------------------------15-16-18----------------|
D|-------------------14-17-18-------------------------|
A|----------14-16-18----------------------------------|
E|-15-16-18-------------------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 16–20
e|-------------------------------------------16-18-19-|
B|-------------------------------------17-20----------|
G|----------------------------16-18-20----------------|
D|-------------------17-18-20-------------------------|
A|----------16-18-19----------------------------------|
E|-16-18-19-------------------------------------------|

How to play B Ionian #5 on guitar

Find the root first: B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every B on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, ♯5, 7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.

Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 7–11. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.

Degrees

DegreeNote
1 B
2 C#
3 D#
4 E
♯5 G
6 G#
7 A#

Chords in B Ionian #5

Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in B Ionian #5; tap one to see its shapes.

Degree Chord 7th chord Function
I+ Baug Bmaj7#5 Tonic
ii C#m C#m7 Supertonic
III D# D#7 Mediant
IV E Emaj7 Subdominant
♯v° Gdim Gdim7 Dominant
vi G#m G#m(maj7) Submediant
vii° A#dim A#m7b5 Leading tone / subtonic

Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android

Practise B Ionian #5 anywhere, even offline.

This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.

Free

  • 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
  • A tuner with 10 tunings and a metronome from 30 to 260 BPM
  • A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
  • Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz

One purchase

  • 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
  • Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
  • Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
  • No subscription, ads removed

Questions

What notes are in the B Ionian #5 Scale?
The B Ionian #5 Scale has 7 notes: B, C#, D#, E, G, G#, A#.
What chords are in the B Ionian #5 Scale?
The chords of B Ionian #5 are Baug (I+), C#m (ii), D# (III), E (IV), Gdim (♯v°), G#m (vi), A#dim (vii°).
What is the formula of the ionian #5 scale?
1 2 3 4 ♯5 6 7, which is the step pattern W W H W+H H W H (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play B Ionian #5 on the guitar?
The root B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 7–11, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

Ionian #5 Scale in every key

More scales in B