A Ritusen Charango Scale
Charango scale — fretboard diagramBeginner
A Ritusen Scale — Notes and Intervals
The A Ritusen scale is a traditional Japanese pentatonic scale known for its balanced and tranquil nature. On Charango, the notes are A, B, D, E, F#. 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: A, B, D, E, F#
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 A 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.
How to Play A Ritusen on Charango
Begin by locating A on your instrument and play through the 5 notes of the Ritusen scale slowly, ensuring each note rings clearly before increasing speed.
The A Ritusen scale contains 1 sharp (F#). This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the A Ritusen scale ascending and descending at 60 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (A-D, B-E) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
This scale works well over simple power chord progressions or a 12-bar blues in A. Try a A5 - E5 - F#5 progression. This scale is especially effective in ambient contexts.
Charango Tips
Practice the A Ritusen scale slowly and evenly on your instrument, focusing on tone quality for each of the 5 notes before building speed. Aim for a balanced quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.
Related Scales
The A Ritusen scale contains 5 notes (A, B, D, E, F#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Charango with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for A Ritusen
The A Ritusen scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 5-note pentatonic scale, 2-notes-per-string patterns are the most ergonomic way to traverse the fretboard. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.