Guitar scale · pentatonic & blues
A Iwato Scale
Japanese five-note scale 1 ♭2 4 ♭5 ♭7, with a half step and a tritone.
Tap any note to hear it.
A Iwato Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|---------------------5-6-| B|-------------------8-----| G|---------------7-8-------| D|---------5-7-8-----------| A|-----5-6-----------------| E|-5-6---------------------|
e|--------------------10-| B|---------------8-10----| G|-----------7-8---------| D|-------7-8-------------| A|----10-----------------| E|-10--------------------|
e|-------------------------10-11-| B|-------------------10-11-------| G|----------------12-------------| D|-------------12----------------| A|-------10-12-------------------| E|-10-11-------------------------|
e|----------------------------15-| B|-------------------------15----| G|----------------12-14-15-------| D|----------12-13----------------| A|----12-13----------------------| E|-15----------------------------|
e|-------------------------15-17-| B|-------------------15-16-------| G|-------------14-15-------------| D|----------17-------------------| A|-------17----------------------| E|-15-17-------------------------|
How to play A Iwato on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (4, ♭7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 5–8. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | A |
| ♭2 | Bb |
| 4 | D |
| ♭5 | Eb |
| ♭7 | G |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise A Iwato anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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One purchase
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- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
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Questions
- What notes are in the A Iwato Scale?
- The A Iwato Scale has 5 notes: A, Bb, D, Eb, G.
- What is the formula of the iwato scale?
- 1 ♭2 4 ♭5 ♭7, which is the step pattern H 4 H 4 W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Iwato on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–8, and four more positions connect it up the neck.