B Ritusen
Bass scale — fretboard diagramBeginner
B Ritusen Scale — Notes and Intervals
The B Ritusen scale is a traditional Japanese pentatonic scale known for its balanced and tranquil nature. On Bass, the notes are B, C#, E, F#, G#. It has a suspended quality that sounds very peaceful and is a core part of ancient East Asian court music and contemplative melodies. Commonly used in Japanese, World, Ambient, Film Scores. Notable players include Kitaro, Ryuichi Sakamoto. Use over sus2, sus4, and open chords. Its omission of the 3rd creates an ambiguous major/minor quality.
Notes: B, C#, E, F#, G#
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 4P, 5P, 6M
Degrees: 1 2 3 4 5
Formula: W-WH-W-W-WH
Number of notes: 5
Musical Character
A perfectly balanced pentatonic with a suspended quality — sounds peaceful and folk-like. Its simplicity makes it accessible while its exotic intervals set it apart from Western pentatonics.
Genres & Notable Artists
Genres: Japanese, World, Ambient, Film Scores
Notable players: Kitaro, Ryuichi Sakamoto
How to Use the B Ritusen Scale
Use over sus2, sus4, and open chords. Its omission of the 3rd creates an ambiguous major/minor quality.
Origin & Background
A traditional Japanese scale used in ancient East Asian court music. Related to the Yo scale of the Japanese modal system.
Related Scales
The B Ritusen scale contains 5 notes (B, C#, E, F#, G#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Bass with different tunings and fret ranges.