G HirajōShi (Japanese) Scale

72 scales in every key on a map of the whole neck: positions, patterns, and every note played as it lights up.

The G Hirajōshi (Japanese) scale has 5 notes: G – A – B♭ – D – E♭. Hirajōshi is a five-note Japanese scale with two half steps, tuned to the koto. Its spare, haunting sound turns any riff into something from a film soundtrack.

Compared with the G major scale it has ♭3 (B♭ instead of B), ♭6 (E♭ instead of E).

The explorer above is set to G Hirajōshi (Japanese): the whole neck is mapped, and you can zoom into any of its 5 positions, change the labels to degrees or fingers, and hear it up, down and in patterns.

G Hirajōshi (Japanese) scale notes

Degree	Note	Interval from G	Frets above the root	Sargam
1	G	R	0	S
2	A	M2	2	R
♭3	B♭	m3	3	g
5	D	P5	7	P
♭6	E♭	m6	8	d

Steps between the notes: W H 2W H 2W (W = two frets, H = one fret). Start on any G and follow those steps up one string to play the scale.

G Hirajōshi (Japanese) scale positions on the guitar

Like every pentatonic scale, G Hirajōshi (Japanese) has five box shapes with two notes on each string. Position 1 starts on G on the low E string at fret 3; each next position starts on the next note of the scale. In standard tuning, high string first:

Position	E (1st)	B	G	D	A	E (6th)
Box 1 frets 1–5	3 5	3 4	2 3	1 5	1 5	3 5
Box 2 frets 3–8	5 6	4 8	3 7	5 7	5 6	5 6
Box 3 frets 6–10	6 10	8 10	7 8	7 8	6 10	6 10
Box 4 frets 8–12	10 11	10 11	8 12	8 12	10 12	10 11
Box 5 frets 11–15	11 15	11 15	12 14	12 13	12 13	11 15

What G Hirajōshi (Japanese) fits over

With 5 notes it is not used to build a whole key of chords; instead it sits over minor chords and minor add9 chords. With G as the root: Gm, Gm(add9).

Where you hear it

G Hirajōshi (Japanese) is used in Japanese folk music, metal and film scores. It sounds best over minor chords and minor add9 chords.

Backing tracks to practise G Hirajōshi (Japanese)

G minor blues G minor rock G minor funk Gm Bollywood

How to practise it

Play position 1 (frets 1–5) slowly, up and down, saying the note names.
Play it with the pattern set to In 3s, then In 4s, at a tempo where every note is clean.
Learn position 2 and how it joins position 1: the notes they share are where your hand moves.
Switch the labels to degrees and find every G (1) in each position.
Improvise over a backing track, ending your phrases on G.