Fretwise Get the app

Guitar scale · pentatonic & blues

C In Sen Scale

Japanese five-note scale 1 ♭2 4 5 ♭7. It holds a 7sus4 chord.

Notes CDbFGBb
Formula 1 ♭2 4 5 ♭7
Steps H 4 W W+H W
Mood Dark, Spare, Mysterious
Heard in Japanese Traditional Music, Modern Rock

Interactive scale diagram

C In Sen Scale · Standard tuning

STR OP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 E A D G B E

Tap any note to hear it.

C In Sen Scale tab: all 5 positions

Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.

Position 1 · E shape frets 8–11
e|--------------------------8-9-|
B|---------------------8-11-----|
G|------------------10----------|
D|----------8-10-11-------------|
A|-----8-10---------------------|
E|-8-9--------------------------|
Position 2 · D shape frets 10–13
e|----------------------------13-|
B|----------------------11-13----|
G|----------------10-12----------|
D|----------10-11----------------|
A|----10-13----------------------|
E|-13----------------------------|
Position 3 · C shape frets 12–15
e|----------------------------13-15-|
B|----------------------13-14-------|
G|----------------12-15-------------|
D|-------------15-------------------|
A|-------13-15----------------------|
E|-13-15----------------------------|
Position 4 · A shape frets 15–18
e|-------------------------------15-18-|
B|----------------------------18-------|
G|-------------------15-17-18----------|
D|-------------15-17-------------------|
A|-------15-16-------------------------|
E|-15-18-------------------------------|
Position 5 · G shape frets 17–20
e|----------------------------18-20-|
B|----------------------18-20-------|
G|----------------17-18-------------|
D|----------17-20-------------------|
A|-------20-------------------------|
E|-18-20----------------------------|

How to play C In Sen on guitar

Find the root first: C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every C on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (4, 5, ♭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 8–11. 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

DegreeNote
1 C
♭2 Db
4 F
5 G
♭7 Bb

Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android

Practise C In Sen 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.

Free

  • 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
  • A tuner with 10 tunings and a metronome from 30 to 260 BPM
  • A new Daily 15 routine every day, plus free exercises
  • Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz

One purchase

  • 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
  • Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
  • Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
  • No subscription, ads removed

Questions

What notes are in the C In Sen Scale?
The C In Sen Scale has 5 notes: C, Db, F, G, Bb.
What is the formula of the in sen scale?
1 ♭2 4 5 ♭7, which is the step pattern H 4 W W+H W (W = whole step, H = half step).
Where do I play C In Sen on the guitar?
The root C is at fret 8 on the low E string and fret 3 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 8–11, and four more positions connect it up the neck.

In Sen Scale in every key

More scales in C