Guitar scale · pentatonic & blues
C# Iwato Scale
Japanese five-note scale 1 ♭2 4 ♭5 ♭7, with a half step and a tritone.
Tap any note to hear it.
C# 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|----------------------------9-10-| B|-------------------------12------| G|-------------------11-12---------| D|-----------9-11-12---------------| A|------9-10-----------------------| E|-9-10----------------------------|
e|-------------------------14-| B|-------------------12-14----| G|-------------11-12----------| D|-------11-12----------------| A|----14----------------------| E|-14-------------------------|
e|-------------------------14-15-| B|-------------------14-15-------| G|----------------16-------------| D|-------------16----------------| A|-------14-16-------------------| E|-14-15-------------------------|
e|----------------------------19-| B|-------------------------19----| G|----------------16-18-19-------| D|----------16-17----------------| A|----16-17----------------------| E|-19----------------------------|
e|-------------------------19-21-| B|-------------------19-20-------| G|-------------18-19-------------| D|----------21-------------------| A|-------21----------------------| E|-19-21-------------------------|
How to play C# Iwato on guitar
Find the root first: C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 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, ♭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 9–12. 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 | C# |
| ♭2 | D |
| 4 | F# |
| ♭5 | G |
| ♭7 | B |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise C# 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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- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
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Questions
- What notes are in the C# Iwato Scale?
- The C# Iwato Scale has 5 notes: C#, D, F#, G, B.
- 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 C# Iwato on the guitar?
- The root C# is at fret 9 on the low E string and fret 4 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 9–12, and four more positions connect it up the neck.