The A Japanese Scale for Guitar
The A Japanese scale has five notes: A, B, D, E and F. There is no third, so the scale hangs on the half step from E up to F.
Ring the open A string as the root and build the pattern around it, or start on the 5th fret of the low E string. Every note also belongs to A natural minor.
Play the A japanese scale
Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.
Notes of the A japanese scale
| Note | Degree | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | Root | 0 |
| B | 2 | Major 2nd | 2 |
| D | 4 | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| E | 5 | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| F | b6 | Minor 6th | 8 |
Structure
A 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.
A Japanese Scale Guitar Patterns
Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.
On one string (A)
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 A
Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.
- A Indian: b2 instead of 2
- A Minor: adds the b3 and b7
- A Harmonic Minor: adds the b3 and 7
- A Harmonic Major: adds the 3 and 7
- A Mixolydian b6: adds the 3 and b7
The japanese scale in other keys
Keep learning
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
