Scale quality

ionian ♯5

Ionian sharp five is the third degree of harmonic minor: a major scale with a raised fifth, which turns the tonic triad into an augmented chord. The sharp fifth gives the scale a bright but unsettled glow — major in colour, unstable in structure — and the raised seventh keeps the leading tone intact. It is the scale of the maj7♯5 chord and appears in classical harmony, film music and jazz whenever an augmented major sound is needed. Because the fifth is altered, the scale's symmetry is broken just enough to keep it directional. Listen for the sharp fifth and the major seventh together at the top.