Guitar scale · pentatonic & blues
A Hirajoshi Scale
Japanese five-note scale 1 2 ♭3 5 ♭6 (the common form; sources define it in different ways).
Tap any note to hear it.
A Hirajoshi 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|-------------------5-7-8-| B|---------------5-6-------| G|-------------5-----------| D|-----------7-------------| A|-------7-8---------------| E|-5-7-8-------------------|
e|------------------------7-8-| B|---------------------10-----| G|----------------9-10--------| D|---------7-9-10-------------| A|-----7-8--------------------| E|-7-8------------------------|
e|-----------------------12-| B|-----------------10-12----| G|------------9-10----------| D|-------9-10---------------| A|----12--------------------| E|-12-----------------------|
e|-------------------------------12-13-| B|-------------------------12-13-------| G|----------------------14-------------| D|----------------14-15----------------| A|-------12-14-15----------------------| E|-12-13-------------------------------|
e|----------------------------17-| B|-------------------------17----| G|----------------14-16-17-------| D|----------14-15----------------| A|----14-15----------------------| E|-17----------------------------|
How to play A Hirajoshi on guitar
Find the root first: A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every A on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (♭3, 5), 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 5–8. 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 | A |
| 2 | B |
| ♭3 | C |
| 5 | E |
| ♭6 | F |
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Practise A Hirajoshi anywhere, even offline.
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Questions
- What notes are in the A Hirajoshi Scale?
- The A Hirajoshi Scale has 5 notes: A, B, C, E, F.
- What is the formula of the hirajoshi scale?
- 1 2 ♭3 5 ♭6, which is the step pattern W H 4 H 4 (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play A Hirajoshi on the guitar?
- The root A is at fret 5 on the low E string and fret 0 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 5–8, and four more positions connect it up the neck.