Guitar scale · pentatonic & blues
B Yo Scale
Pentatonic scale 1 2 4 5 6 with no half steps and no 3rd. It is called ritusen in Indian music.
Tap any note to hear it.
B Yo 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|-----------------7-9-| B|-------------7-9-----| G|-----------9---------| D|---------9-----------| A|-----7-9-------------| E|-7-9-----------------|
e|--------------------------9-12-| B|---------------------9-12------| G|----------------9-11-----------| D|-----------9-11----------------| A|------9-11---------------------| E|-9-12--------------------------|
e|-------------------------------12-14-| B|-------------------------12-14-------| G|-------------------11-13-------------| D|-------------11-14-------------------| A|-------11-14-------------------------| E|-12-14-------------------------------|
e|----------------------------14-16-| B|----------------------14-17-------| G|-------------------16-------------| D|-------------14-16----------------| A|-------14-16----------------------| E|-14-16----------------------------|
e|-------------------------------16-19-| B|-------------------------17-19-------| G|-------------------16-18-------------| D|-------------16-18-------------------| A|-------16-19-------------------------| E|-16-19-------------------------------|
How to play B Yo on guitar
Find the root first: B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every B on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (4, 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 7–10. 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 | B |
| 2 | C# |
| 4 | E |
| 5 | F# |
| 6 | G# |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise B Yo 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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- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
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- Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz
One purchase
- 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 B Yo Scale?
- The B Yo Scale has 5 notes: B, C#, E, F#, G#.
- What is the formula of the yo scale?
- 1 2 4 5 6, which is the step pattern W W+H W W W+H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play B Yo on the guitar?
- The root B is at fret 7 on the low E string and fret 2 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 7–10, and four more positions connect it up the neck.