Guitar scale · pentatonic & blues
G Iwato Scale
Japanese five-note scale 1 ♭2 4 ♭5 ♭7, with a half step and a tritone.
Tap any note to hear it.
G Iwato 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|---------------------3-4-| B|-------------------6-----| G|---------------5-6-------| D|---------3-5-6-----------| A|-----3-4-----------------| E|-3-4---------------------|
e|-----------------8-| B|-------------6-8---| G|---------5-6-------| D|-----5-6-----------| A|---8---------------| E|-8-----------------|
e|--------------------8-9-| B|----------------8-9-----| G|-------------10---------| D|----------10------------| A|-----8-10---------------| E|-8-9--------------------|
e|----------------------------13-| B|-------------------------13----| G|----------------10-12-13-------| D|----------10-11----------------| A|----10-11----------------------| E|-13----------------------------|
e|-------------------------13-15-| B|-------------------13-14-------| G|-------------12-13-------------| D|----------15-------------------| A|-------15----------------------| E|-13-15-------------------------|
How to play G Iwato on guitar
Find the root first: G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every G on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (4, ♭7), 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 3–6. 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 | G |
| ♭2 | Ab |
| 4 | C |
| ♭5 | Db |
| ♭7 | F |
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Practise G Iwato 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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Questions
- What notes are in the G Iwato Scale?
- The G Iwato Scale has 5 notes: G, Ab, C, Db, F.
- What is the formula of the iwato scale?
- 1 ♭2 4 ♭5 ♭7, which is the step pattern H 4 H 4 W (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play G Iwato on the guitar?
- The root G is at fret 3 on the low E string and fret 10 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 3–6, and four more positions connect it up the neck.