B Japanese Scale, Note by Note

B, C#, E, F# and G give the B Japanese scale, a five-note collection with a delicate colour. The half step from F# up to G is where it comes from.

Let the open B string ring as the root. The root also sits at the 7th fret of the low E string. The notes match B natural minor without its third and seventh, which explains the open, airy feel.

Play the B japanese scale

Use the step menu in the player to switch between the single-string run and the box shapes.

Notes of the B japanese scale

Note	Degree	Interval	Semitones from root
B	1	Root	0
C#	2	Major 2nd	2
E	4	Perfect 4th	5
F#	5	Perfect 5th	7
G	b6	Minor 6th	8

Structure

B japanese scale notes:

B C# E F# G

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.

B Japanese Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

On one string (B)

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 B

Same root, different notes. Play them back to back to hear what changes.

B Indian: b2 instead of 2
B Minor: adds the b3 and b7
B Harmonic Minor: adds the b3 and 7
B Harmonic Major: adds the 3 and 7
B Mixolydian b6: adds the 3 and b7

The japanese scale in other keys

C Japanese C# Japanese D Japanese Eb Japanese E Japanese F Japanese F# Japanese G Japanese Ab Japanese A Japanese Bb Japanese B Japanese

All about the japanese scale →

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher