fuaranScale Mastery
SCALE · ON ALTO SAXOPHONE

D♭ Yo

Japanese 5-note country-folk shamisen scale — 1 2 4 5 6. The bright counterpart to In Sen.

MEIMIDIHumdrum
Choose a root
Tempo120 bpm

Playback sounds a major 6th below the written notation — the instrument's concert (sounding) pitch.

Audio source: tonejs-instruments by Nick Brosowsky (MIT)

Engraved by Verovio 6.2.0-43f8060 5 title D♭ Yo Verovio
Keyboard
D♭E♭G♭A♭B♭D♭E♭G♭A♭B♭D♭E♭G♭A♭B♭
Related scales
Same scale, other instruments
Same scale, other tonics
Modes built on this tonic
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Theory reference
Questions
What notes are in the D♭ Yo scale?

The D♭ Yo scale uses the notes D♭, E♭, G♭, A♭, B♭ (one octave; the pattern repeats at higher registers).

What's the Yo scale formula?

The Yo scale follows the interval pattern W W+H W W W+H, where W = whole step (2 semitones) and H = half step (1 semitone). Apply that pattern starting on D♭ to get the D♭ Yo scale.

What chords work over D♭ Yo?

Try chord pairings derived from the scale's third, fifth, and seventh degrees as roots — they share the most diatonic notes.

How do I finger D♭ Yo on Alto Saxophone?

On saxophone, scales train fingering + the altissimo register. Practice the entire range — low Bb through high F (or higher with altissimo fingerings) — at each scale.

When would I use the Yo scale?

Japanese 5-note country-folk shamisen scale — 1 2 4 5 6. The bright counterpart to In Sen.