Playing the Ab Japanese Scale
Ab, Bb, Db, Eb and Fb make the Ab Japanese scale. Fb is the only odd name, and you fret it as E; the half step that rises from Eb to Fb gives the scale its delicate colour.
Find the root on the 4th fret of the low E string or the 11th fret of the A string. All five notes appear in Ab natural minor, so you can build on a minor-key sound you already know.
Play the Ab japanese scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the Ab japanese scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ab | 1 | Root | 0 |
| Bb | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| Db | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| Eb | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| Fb | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
Structure
Ab japanese scale notes:
How the japanese scale is built:
The japanese scale is built from the degrees 1 2 4 5 b6, which gives the step pattern W-W+H-W-H-WW (W = whole step, H = half step).
Counting in semitones from the root: 0, 2, 5, 7, 8. That makes it a 5-note scale.
Ab Japanese Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (G)
Box pattern — position 1
Box pattern — position 2
Box pattern — position 3
Box pattern — position 4
Box pattern — position 5
3 notes per string — position 1
Other scales on Ab
Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.
- Ab Indian: b2 instead of 2
- Ab Minor: adds the b3 and b7
- Ab Harmonic Minor: adds the b3 and 7
- Ab Harmonic Major: adds the 3 and 7
- Ab Mixolydian b6: adds the 3 and b7
The japanese scale in other keys
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
