Ritsu and ryo scales

Ritsu scale with secondary tones in brackets.

Play (help·info) E, F♯, (G,) A, B, C♯, (D,) [1][2]

Ryo scale with secondary tones in brackets D, E, F♯,

(G/G♯), A, B, (C/C♯). Play (help·info)[3][4]
The ritsu and ryo scales are anhemitonic
pentatonic scales -- five-note scales
without semitones -- used in a type of
Japanese Buddhist chant called shōmyō.
The ritsu scale is built up by intervals of
major second, minor third, major second,
major second, minor third, while the ryo
scale is major second, major second,
minor third, major second, minor third.[5] A
third scale called Hanryo hanritsu is
created by combining the ritsu and ryo
scales however there is no agreed way to
combine the two.[6]
The ritsu scales do not fit exactly into the
equal temperament prominent in Western
classical music but ritsu is transposable to
E and B, Ryo is transposable to D and G,
and Hanryo hanritsu to A.[7] The Ritsu scale
is one of the six scales (along with the
major and minor scales, the common
pentatonic scale, and the common "blues"
scale) that provide more consonant
harmonic intervals than any other possible
scales that can be drawn from the 12
semitones of equally tempered pitch.[8]
Esoteric significance
The ritsu scale is the voice of the male
phoenix, yang, being, the voice that
ascends from above and is inhaled breath,
emerging from the ki while the ryo scale is
the voice of the female phoenix, yin,
nothingness, the voice that ascends from
below and is exhaled breath, emerging
from the breath; probably indicating that
ritsu is vertical and ryo is horizontal.[9]

Sources
1. Gillan gives just the five note scale: C,
D, F, G, A. Gillan, Matt (2012). Songs
from the Edge of Japan, p.40.
ISBN 9781409424048.
2. Malm and Asai give the scale with two
additional secondary tones D, E, (F), G,
A, B, (C). Malm, William P. (2000).
Traditional Japanese Music and
Musical Instruments, p.68.
ISBN 9784770023957, and Asai,
Susan Miyo (1999). Nōmai Dance
Drama, p.159. ISBN 9780313306983.
3. Malm, William P. (2000). Traditional
Japanese Music and Musical
 Instruments
4. Asai, Susan Miyo (1999). Nōmai
Dance Drama
5. Malm, William P. (2000). Traditional
Japanese Music and Musical
Instruments
6. Malm, William P. (2000). Traditional
Japanese Music and Musical
Instruments
7. Malm, William P. (2000). Traditional
Japanese Music and Musical
Instruments p.69.
 8. David Huron Music Perception, Vol. 11,
No. 3 (1994) pp. 289-305.
9. Zeami, Motoyiko (2011). Zeami, p.121.
ISBN 9780231139595.

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