The Iwato scale on bass:
notes, formula and position

The Iwato scale has 5 notes: 1 ♭2 4 ♭5 ♭7. In A, that gives A, B♭, D, E♭ and G. The most tense of the Japanese pentatonics: minor second and diminished fifth. Widely used in metal.

Also called: Iwato, Japanese pentatonic.

Formula and notes

1 ♭2 4 ♭5 ♭7

The steps between the notes, from the root to the octave: half step – two whole steps – half step – two whole steps – whole step. In A:

One position on the neck

The Iwato scale in A, in the 5th-fret position: one finger per fret, from the 4th to the 8th fret, on all four strings. The numbers are the degrees; the root is in gold.

The same position as bass tab (fret by fret, from the low E string to the G string):

G|-7--8-|
D|-5--7--8-|
A|-5--6-|
E|-5--6-|

For another key, move the whole shape: the root on the E string sets the key (3rd fret for G, 8th fret for C).

The sound of the Iwato scale

The darkest of Japanese pentatonics. No perfect fifth — very unstable and mysterious.

You mostly hear it in Japanese music, ambient and metal.

Neighbouring scales

These scales differ from the Iwato scale by a single note. Comparing them lets you hear exactly what that note brings.

• The In Sen scale: 5 instead of ♭5.

Practice it with UnitBasse

This diagram shows a single position, in a single key. In UnitBasse, this scale is shown across the whole neck and in all twelve keys, as note names, intervals or degrees, with one color per degree. You can listen to it, see the chords that go with it, switch keys in one click, and play it over a chord chart with BackTrack, the app’s backing band. The app has 69 scales in 12 families.

Frequently asked questions