Iwato Scale on guitar

Iwato is a dark five note Japanese scale with a flat second and a flat fifth, used for koto music.

Play A Iwato Scale on the fretboard in Guitar Upscale

About the Iwato Scale

The notes are root, flat 2nd, 4th, flat 5th and flat 7th. With no 3rd and a flat 5th it sounds stark and dark.

It comes from Japanese koto music. Metal players borrow it for riffs that sound neither major nor minor.

Play the flat 2nd and the flat 5th against the open low string to hear its colour.

Intervals from the root

Same notes, another starting note

Start the A Iwato Scale scale on another of its notes and you get these scales:

• From degree b2 (Bb): Bb Hirajoshi 2
• From degree 4 (D): D Kumoi 2 (In Scale)
• From degree b5 (Eb): Eb Chinese Scale
• From degree b7 (G): G Hirajoshi Scale

Iwato Scale in every key

More Far Eastern scales

• Kumoi Scale
• Kumoi 2 (In Scale)
• In Sen Scale
• Japanese Scale
• Ichikosucho
• Taishikicho
• Hirajoshi Scale
• Hirajoshi 2
• Chinese Scale
• Yo Scale