Playing the E Japanese Scale

Play the open low E string, then add F#, A, B and C, and you hear the E Japanese scale. The half step from B to C is the delicate moment.

The high open E string is the same root, and the 7th fret of the A string offers another. All five notes belong to E natural minor, which is easy to hear if you play a simple E minor backing.

Play the E japanese scale

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

Notes of the E japanese scale

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

Structure

E japanese scale notes:

E F# A B C

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.

E Japanese Scale Guitar Patterns

Static diagrams of every position shown in the player above.

On one string (low E)

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 E

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

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