Jazz scale
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A jazz scale is a musical scale used in jazz. Many "jazz scales" are common scales drawn from Western European classical music, possibly with an additional note inserted to add a jazz sound coloring, such as a particular chromatic passing tone as in the "bebop scales", or a blue note. One important aspect of jazz is its use of many complementary scales associated with the various chord types.
In addition to the diatonic scales of the common practice period, diminished, pentatonic and altered scales are also important.
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[edit] Modes of the major scale
The number of scales available to improvising musicians continues to expand. As modern techniques and musical constructions appear, jazz players find the ones they can put into compositions or use as material for melodic exploration. Prominent examples are the seven modes of the diatonic major scale and added-note scales.
| Ionian mode | C D E F G A B C | (associated with C Major 7 chord) |
| Dorian mode | C D Eb F G A Bb C | (associated with C-7 chord) |
| Phrygian mode | C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C | (associated with C Phrygian chord) |
| Lydian mode | C D E F# G A B C | (associated with C Maj7 #4 chord) |
| Mixolydian mode | C D E F G A Bb C | (associated with C7 chord) |
| Aeolian mode | C D Eb F G Ab Bb C | (associated with C-7 b6 chord) |
| Locrian mode | C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C | (associated with C-7b5 chord) |
Compare each of the modes to the major scale for clues as to the subtle differences between them. Ionian is based on the 1st degree of the major scale, Dorian on the 2nd, Phrygian on the 3rd, etc.
| C Ionian | C D E F G A B C | (associated with C Major 7 chord) |
| D Dorian | D E F G A B C D | (associated with D-7 chord) |
| E Phrygian | E F G A B C D E | (associated with Phrygian chord) |
| F Lydian | F G A B C D E F | (associated with F Maj7 #4 chord) |
| G Mixolydian | G A B C D E F G | (associated with G7 chord) |
| A Aeolian | A B C D E F G A | (associated with A-7 b6 chord) |
| B Locrian | B C D E F G A B | (associated with B-7b5 chord) |
Combinations of the characteristic details of these modes are also in common use. For example, the Lydian Dominant uses the raised 4th degree of the Lydian with the flatted seventh of the Mixolydian, yielding C D E F# G A Bb C. Chromatic alterations are also useful, as in the Altered Lydian scale, C D E F# G# A B C for use on the chord Cmaj7+5.
[edit] Bebop scale
Bebop scales add a single chromatic passing tone to the 7 note major scale (Ionian and Mixolydian modes). The added passing tone creates an 8 tone scale that fits rhythmicaly evenly within a 4/4 measure of eight 8th notes. When an 8th note Bebop Scale run starts on the beat from a chord tone (Root, 3rd, 5th or b7th) the other chord notes will also fall on the beats. As a result all of the "non-chord tones" will fall on the offbeats (the "+"s) and become passing tones.
There are two commonly used types of Bebop Scales:
Dominant Bebop Scale which adds the raised 7th to Mixolydian: 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 7
Major Bebop Scale which adds #5 to Ionian: 1 2 3 4 5 #5 6 7
NOTE: A Dominant Bebop Scale works well over an entire ii V. Bebop pianist Barry Harris said "We don't really play ii scales in bebop."
[edit] Modes of the melodic minor scale
A great deal of modern jazz harmony arises from the modes of the ascending form of the melodic minor scale. This scale is essentially a diatonic major scale with a flatted third, for example C D Eb F G A B C. As with any other scale, the modes are derived from playing the scale from different root notes, causing a series of jazz scales to emerge.
Modes of C Melodic Minor:
i: Melodic Minor (associated with Cmi maj7 or C-6 chords , functions as a i minor)
II: Phrygian #6 (or Dorian b2) (associated with D7 sus b9 chord, functions as a dominant)
III: Lydian Augmented (associated with Eb maj7 +5 chord, functions as a I+)
IV: Lydian Dominant (associated with F7 #11 chord, functions as a Dominant not going to I)
V: Mixolydian b6 (or simply "fifth mode") (associated with G7 b13 chord, functions as a dominant)
vi: Locrian #2 and Aeolian b5 (or "half-diminished" scale)(associated with Ami7 b5, functions as an ii chord in minor)
VII: Super Locrian (or "Altered Scale") (associated with B7 #9 b13 chord, functions as a dominant)
It should be noted that the names of these scales are variations of the names used for some of the modes of the diatonic major scale, for example the Phrygian #6, the second mode of the melodic minor, is named so because it is the same as the Phrygian mode of the major scale except with a sharped sixth.
[edit] Diminished scale
There are two diminished scales. The first is based on a series of alternating half steps and whole steps, ie, HWHWHWHW which in the key of C would be C Db Eb E F# G A Bb C. The second is based on a series of a series of alternating whole steps and half steps, ie, WHWHWHWH which in the key of C would be C D Eb F Gb Ab A B C.
[edit] Whole tone scale
The Whole tone scale, consisting excusively of whole steps, is often used on V7 +5 chords (G7 + for example).
[edit] Pentatonic scales
Two pentatonic scales common to jazz are the major pentatonic scale and the minor pentatonic scale.
The major pentatonic scale begins with a major scale and omits the fourth and the seventh scale degrees. The C major scale is ( C, D, E, F, G, A, B ), so the C major pentatonic scale is ( C, D, E, G, A ) :
The minor pentatonic scale uses the same notes as the major pentatonic scale, but begins on the sixth scale degree of the corresponding major scale. Continuing the example above, A is the sixth scale degree of C major, so the A minor pentatonic scale would be ( A, C, D, E, G ) :
The nomenclature, "minor pentatonic scale," minor is employed in the sense of relative key, as the diatonic A minor scale is the relative minor of the diatonic C major scale.
The minor pentatonic scale with a flattened fifth followed by the fifth is sometimes called the blues scale, on A ( A, C, D, Eb, E, G ) :
[edit] Blues scale
Blues scales also come in major and minor varieties. The C minor blues scale is C Eb F F# G Bb C ascending or C Bb G Gb F Eb C descending. The differences in the up and down versions are only one of musical spelling, e.i. Gb vs F#.
The C major blues scale is C D D# E G A C ascending or C A G E Eb D C descending.
[edit] Harmonic minor scale
The harmonic minor scale is also of value to many improvisors, as it provides an alternative color for many common chords and chord progressions. An example is C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-B-C. The C harmonic minor scale can be used on the chords of a song in C minor, especially on the minor ii V7 i chord progression.
