B♭ Hirajoshi (Bb Hirajoshi) scale on mandolin
B♭ Hirajoshi has 5 notes: B♭ C D♭ F G♭. Degrees: 1 2 ♭3 5 ♭6. Formula: W H 2W H 2W.
What notes are in the B♭ Hirajoshi scale?
B♭, C, D♭, F and G♭. It has 5 notes; its formula in whole and half steps is W H 2W H 2W.
What does B♭ Hirajoshi sound like, and when do you use it?
Approximation of a Japanese scale: delicate, with an Eastern melancholy. Use it over minor chords with ♭6.
Chord progressions to improvise with B♭ Hirajoshi
In Jam mode (the Jam button above) a band of grand piano, upright bass and drums (recorded instruments) plays these progressions as swing, bossa, groove or ballad, and the fretboard lights up the notes of each chord as it plays. It's a backing track made for this scale in B♭:
- Pedal (I): a B♭m vamp. A chord made of scale notes, held over the root: hear each note against the bass.
B♭ Hirajoshi positions on mandolin
In G D A E tuning, keeping the hand in one area of the neck, B♭ Hirajoshi is played in 5 positions:
- Position 1: frets 3 to 8 (starts on the root)
- Position 2: frets 5 to 10
- Position 3: frets 6 to 11
- Position 4: frets 10 to 15
- Position 5: frets 11 to 16
Hirajoshi in other keys
On other instruments
B♭ Hirajoshi on piano · B♭ Hirajoshi on guitar · B♭ Hirajoshi on bass · B♭ Hirajoshi on ukulele · B♭ Hirajoshi on banjo · B♭ Hirajoshi on violin · B♭ Hirajoshi on viola · B♭ Hirajoshi on cello · B♭ Hirajoshi on alto sax · B♭ Hirajoshi on tenor sax · B♭ Hirajoshi on trumpet · B♭ Hirajoshi on flute · All scales