Scales › iwato (Japanese)

iwato (Japanese) scale

Japanese, the most tense

What color?

The most dissonant Japanese pentatonic (R b9 11 b5 b7), the 2nd mode of hirajoshi: dark, tense, almost Locrian. For an anxious, suspended color.

Origin & history

A Japanese pentatonic with half steps, of the "in" scale family. A grave and tense color, associated with the koto repertoire.

Which chords to play it on?

Outside the functional consensus: this is an exploration color. Lay it over a vamp or a held chord to tint your improvisation with an unexpected flavor, rather than inside a cadence.

Try it in a real chart

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