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how to use bebop scales

1, 3, 5 or 6 for tonic and 1, 3, 5 or 7 for dominant. You’ve probably noticed that you can’t play a major scale over a major chord. For example, in the key of C major, you’d add a G# (or Ab) as an additional scale tone (a chromatic or non-diatonic passing tone) between the 5th and 6th degrees of the scale (in this case, G and A). As mentioned earlier it has the same notes as the first minor bebop scale but it can be used effectively in it’s own right. Think of the Blues, the bridge to Rhythm Changes, or any number of jazz standards with dominant chords that last for a measure or longer. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Dr. Barry Harris has further developed the concept of bebop scales and taught them on a worldwide basis in … The bebop scales are derived from rhythms. The bebop scale and it’s inherent chromatic movement don’t have to be limited to V7 chords…. The scale is built from the fifth mode of Harmonic Minor, with an added #7 included in the scale… Later move on to using bebop scales over both chords. Once you have it mastered, the next step is to incorporate this scale or utilize the b6 to 5 motion in your solos. (You can also try just using five notes of the scale) Use all chord tones for starting notes ascending and descending. ; The bebop scale is used most often. Write a bebop contrafact using bebop scales. ; Bebop scales add a single chromatic passing tone to the 7 note major scale ( Ionian and Mixolydian modes ). (Remember that C Major is the 1st mode and G Mixolydian is the 5th mode). In the line below Bill Evans utilizes the b6 to 5 movement over both V7 and Major chords in his solo over Autumn Leaves: Over the F7 chord he uses the Db (b6) as an approach note to an F major scale fragment and over the EbMaj7 chord he uses a major bebop fragment to approach the 5th. The bebop scales are frequently used in jazz, and deservedly got their name from their extensive use in the Bebop era (1940s-60s) by such jazz musicians as Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker and Dizzie Gillespie, to name a few. 0:51 The Scale and How I Play it. But where do bebop scales come from, and how can they be used in the practice room and in practical playing situations? As you practice bebop scales, think of them as just another tool in your toolkit as you develop your ears and your arsenal of melodic vocabulary. Jazz and Bebop use the melodic minor scale due to the color provided by using the Major 7th and Minor 7th note. Nov 4, 2018 - Perhaps you’ve read or heard about bebop scales before – they’ve been mentioned in passing on LJS in the past. 4:49 Along the Neck. How to use the Bebop Scale Well, the Bebop scale can be used in any tonal context, as long as those alterations on the fifth serve as passing notes ! The bebop scale stems from the bebop language invented by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell and other legendary jazz musicians from the early to mid-1940’s. 5:25 Lick using Exercise #3. Notice how he anticipates the arrival of each chord by a beat or two beats. This scale is normally played over V chords and II-V progressions. In this comprehensive lesson, I teach you how to easily come up with all the variants of the original bebop scale, how to instantly apply them to improvise over any II-V-I, and to conclude I show you an exercise over a Rhythm Changes bridge.. You can play one scale over both the II- and the V7 chords. This video is all about the bebop scale… w hat it is, what it isn’t and when and how to use it! Here is a list of the 16 most important scales for jazz improvisation and the harmonic contexts in which they can be used for... For some, learning jazz can be a daunting task. 2. Since most scales derived from the Western modes have 7 notes before repeating the tonic pitch, they are rhythmically asymmetrical when played as stepwise 8th note lines. But the true versatility of this scale comes in applying it to the other chords in your solos. (video lesson, tips, and notation below.) 6:59 The Rules. In this comprehensive lesson, I teach you how to easily come up with all the variants of the original bebop scale, how to instantly apply them to improvise over any II-V-I, and to conclude I show you an exercise over a Rhythm Changes bridge.. For instance, instead of using the 'plain' dominant 7th (mixolydian) scale on a C7 chord: C E F G A Bb The Jazz guitarists (and other musicians) started adding a passing tone like this: C E F G A Bb B And because of the inherent voice leading (chromaticism) the scale sounds melodic. Check out how Bill Evans utilizes this sound over a half-diminished chord on Woody n’ You, starting his line with a bebop fragment from the b6: He creates a sequence with the bebop scale fragments. Find an example of the major bebop scale is one of your favorite jazz solos. With this motion, the root of the Bb bebop scale resolves to the 5th of the I chord. Here’s another example of Trane applying this concept to the first 2 bars of Rhythm Changes. This powerful scale is known as the dominant bebop scale. Leave a quick comment below and mention where you hear it. Here’s a quick test: Now that you have the sound of the bebop scale in your ear, take a listen to Coltrane’s solo on Lazy Bird and see if you can identify where he is using it in his solo: As you can see, the bebop scale has many melodic and harmonic applications for your solos, but it’s not the only bebop scale that you can use…. As you’ll see the more you transcribe solos and study the jazz language, even a fragment of the bebop scale can be effective in creating melodic or forward motion in your solos. However, the unfortunate thing about the bebop scale is that most players treat it as just another scale to memorize and drill in the practice room – but this is only the beginning. Here are a few examples of the various versions of “minor bebop scales” that are in circulation in the jazz world: As the name suggests, bebop scales are particularly useful for generating melodic vocabulary in a bebop context, but they can be deployed while improvising in other jazz styles and non-jazz settings as well, as long as it’s stylistically, expressively, and aesthetically appropriate. You know you can use the bebop scale on dominant chords…. I think of it more as a melodic device than a scale. C bebop harmonic minor scale. Dr. Barry Harris has further developed the concept of bebop scales and taught them on a worldwide basis in … For example "Impressions" starts with Dm7. Now that you have a basic framework for understanding bebop scales, I hope you feel empowered and inspired to start using them! After you’ve ingrained the basic scale try applying it to the bridge of Rhythm Changes or the Blues. A great example of this scale in action is the opening to John Coltrane’s solo on Moment’s Notice: Over an Eb Major 7 chord he simply starts on the root and plays down an Eb major bebop scale. Learn how your comment data is processed. After practicing bebop scales in the practice room, try hearing them in your head and applying them while improvising when it’s musically appropriate to do so. Example: I D–7 G7 I use G7 bop scale for the whole bar. But it’s something that you need to know, especially if you plan on playing tunes like Maiden Voyage, One Finger Snap, or Passion Dance…. Bebop scales also provide an excellent system that allows you to incorporate more chromaticism in your playing. But where do bebop scales come from, and how can they be used in the practice room and in practical playing situations? A great way to navigate this sound is with a bebop scale: Because it is an open sound you can imply a number of different harmonic techniques. The bebop dominant scale outlines the sound of a dominant 7 chord, and due to the fact that the subdominant and dominant harmonies in a ii-V are so closely related, the bebop dominant scale of the V chord can be used to generalize both the ii & V chords. Here’s the simplest and most direct explanation: you can generate bebop scales by adding strategically placed passing tones to common scales and modes from traditional Western music theory, including the standard diatonic or “church modes” derived from the major scale. The Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale is much clearer and user-friendly than the Baker books thtat I had been using (How to Pay Bebop). play the major bebop scale) it allows you to land on the strong chord tones on the downbeats, emphasizing the root, 3rd and 5th of the chord. 1, 3, 5 or 6 for tonic and 1, 3, 5 or 7 for dominant. Bebop solos notably feature a lot of chromatic or non-diatonic notes – meaning pitches that music theorists can’t easily explain by simply referring to the traditional 7-note scales such as the major scale (the Ionian mode) and the modes derived from it (such as the Dorian and Mixolydian modes). What is the theoretical derivation of bebop scales? All Bebop scales are based on the Major scale, but they each have an additional note inserted in a different location, giving a characteristic short chromatic run within the scale. These are frequently used in jazz improvisation and are derived from the modes of the major scale, the melodic minor scale, and the harmonic minor scale.These scales are most often used by David Baker and Barry Harris as a tool to teach jazz improvisation. For example thinking G7 over a D-7 – G7 progression and applying a G bebop scale: A great example of this is from John Coltrane’s solo on Giant Steps: Over a ii-V7 to Eb (F-7 to Bb7) he is simply thinking of a Bb7 chord for the entire measure and applying a descending Bb bebop scale. To be truly effective with this scale you need to be able to start on any note of the scale throughout the entire range of your instrument. Feb 20, 2018 - Perhaps you’ve read or heard about bebop scales before – they’ve been mentioned in passing on LJS in the past. This is where you can use scales to your advantage. You can also apply this melodic concept to a number of other chords. In this video I will go through the way to play the dominant bebop scale and give you ways how to use the bebop scale in your own soloing. It’s important to remember that bebop scales, like any other scales or musical systems, are just theoretical building blocks to help you conceptualize, learn, and internalize jazz vocabulary. You can also reverse this so you’re practicing moving from the Bb bebop scale to a G7b9 arpeggio. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8VZAiqVcXnHbmFuQzAxaFQ4ZGc So, I offer you 3 ways to improve your playing right now. 3:31 Lick using Exercise #2. Each of these spots is an opportunity to use the linear motion of the bebop scale to create a melodic line. The b6 is an effective passing tone to add melodic motion to your solos over major or dominant chords. In this post, I’ll hopefully shine some light on where these useful scales […] By adding a passing tone to a scale, you now have an 8-note scale, which is rhythmically symmetrical – meaning you can play the scale ascending or descending in 8th notes as a stepwise melody and have all the chord tones line up with the downbeats. You can use G dominant bebop-scale on that (the G bebop dominant scale works on G7, Dm7 and Bm7b5). I’m talking about the bebop scale. The bebop dominant scale outlines the sound of a dominant 7 chord, and due to the fact that the subdominant and dominant harmonies in a ii-V are so closely related, the bebop dominant scale of the V chord can be used to generalize both the ii & V chords. Let’s first look at the major bebop scale. Pioneering jazz pedagogues David Baker and Barry Harris are the two musicians most commonly credited with the development of the concepts surrounding bebop scales. This is because it comes down to an issue of alignment. The next way you can use the bebop scale is over the ii-V-I progression. In other words, just treat the II- chord like a V7 chord in the same key, which works since both modes come from the same parent scale and therefore comprise the same pitches. These videos will be showing improvistaion tips and ideas using some of the licks and phrases from the Easy Easy Bebop book. The trick is to find the Dorian (ii chord) that fits with the Dominant (Mixolydian, V7 chord). As is often the case with theoretical constructs, the theory arose and was codified after the practice was well established. By ingraining this pattern into your technique you can imply a bebop fragment over major or dominant chords. Avoid becoming a person who plays great exercises, but delays using their creative energy until tomorrow. For more information, please visit: https://www.josiahboornazian.com. Recommended text: How to Play Bebop, Vol. One of my favorite places to use bebop scales is over ii-V progressions. ; The bebop scale is used most often. To my knowledge, there isn’t much evidence that the idea of “bebop scales” existed when Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Christian, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, and the other legendary musical pioneers were developing the unique new style of jazz which we now call bebop. (Remember that C Major is the 1st mode and G Mixolydian is the 5th mode). To access this sound you’ll play a bebop scale from the b6 of the half-diminished chord – for example, over a B-7b5 chord you would use a G bebop scale: With this scale you highlight the root, minor 3rd and flat 5th of the chord: A great way to use this technique is over minor ii-V’s. Over the F7 he plays a descending F bebop scale starting on the b7: The trap that many players fall into with practicing scales is that they develop melodic and harmonic tunnel vision. Play the scale descending from G (G, F#, F, E, D, C, B, A, G). We ascend the Bb diminished arpeggio to the octave of the b7 (G) and we then descend the bebop scale to land on the major 7th of the D Major Chord (C#), finally jumping down to the A for a real bebop flavor. These tips for improvisation will … The scales commonly used today consist of the seven pentatonic and bebop scales. In this post, I’ll hopefully shine some light on where these useful scales […] The bebop scales are derived from rhythms. Instead, treat your music as an emotionally expressive and communicative art form. Historically, bebop musicians started to add notes to "regular" diatonic scales. Another reason bebop scales are especially useful is that they can allow you to systematically control which part of the beat chord tones fall on when playing a stepwise melody. More Bebop scales. Finally, in addition to bebop scales with one passing tone, you can build on this concept and add two more passing tones to the dominant seventh bebop scale. bar just use the dominant bebop scale for now. Or that when you do, something just sounds off. Super fun!! Another good model to follow is this line from Michael Brecker’s solo on What is this thing called love? Additionally, using bebop scales allows you to think about scales rather than just individual chords while improvising. The chromatic movement of the bebop scale emphasizes the minor 3rd and 13th of the minor chord. Dominant bebop scale = Mixolydian mode + major 7. © Copyright 2018 - Learn Jazz Standards, LLC, 10 Jazz Standards That Will Make Learning Jazz Easier, The 16 Most Important Scales in Jazz [UPDATED], 9 Important Jazz Chord Progressions You Need to Master [UPDATED], 4 Important Applications of the Melodic Minor Scale. Below we’ll show you 3 ways that you can apply bebop scales to different chords: The first alternative way you can use the bebop scale is on minor chords. 37. I think of it more as a melodic device than a scale. On minor chords: the bebop scale can also be used to play over minor chords. I appreciate it! Taking this familiar scale and approaching it in new ways – and this is where things get interesting. The trick is to avoid mechanically regurgitating the scales, because that just makes your solo sound like a dry intellectual exercise. Finally check out how Mulgrew Miller uses the b6 in this line over the melody to If I Were a Bell: Keep in mind that you don’t have to play the entire scale. Benefiting from scales. So start slow and ingrain one key at a time. Here it is: Another way to think of a major bebop scale (which apparently comes from Barry Harris) is that it is derived from combining a major sixth chord with a diminished seventh chord a whole step above. Example: I D–7 G7 I use G7 bop scale for the whole bar. The dominant bebop scale (usually just referred to as the bebop scale) adds a chromatic passing tone between the b7 and the 1. All that being said, here are some ideas to get you started as you explore bebop scales: Practice them in ascending and descending form, but with greater emphasis on descending form. Practice applying this technique of adding the b6 to Major and Dominant chords in your solos. This 8 note scale can actually can be thought of as a chord and a scale at the same time if you use it properly. With this lick, you play down the scale and when you reach the 3rd of the scale, you simply play an ascending diminished 7 arpeggio that brings you back to the top of the scale, via the b9. You can utilize the major bebop scale or the b6 to 5 motion over Major and Dominant chords. This is a complicated question, but I can try to provide a basic framework for understanding the history and derivation of bebop scales. However, if you add in the b6 passing tone to that C Major scale it’ll look like this: When you add a chromatic note (i.e. Check out how Tom Harrell also plays a nearly identical line over Rhythm Changes in Bb: By using the major bebop scale along with enclosures, you’ll be able to create long melodic lines in a very simple and easy way. Bebop scale is a term referring to common seven-note scales that have an added chromatic passing note. The Bebop Scale. Don’t fall into this trap with the bebop scale. You just add one extra note to each respective scale and then you can play it forever and ever without ever hitting a ‘wrong’ note on a downbeat. 4:09 #3 Chaining Arpeggios Like Kurt Rosenwinkel. Your Bebop Scale Action Steps. This video is all about the bebop scale… w hat it is, what it isn’t and when and how to use it! Using this chromatic note is a great way to hit the “right notes at the right time.”. Pick a tune and make it your goal to write out one chorus of a “solo.” Try to only use bebop scales and write descending melodies in stepwise motion (you can leap up a melodic 7th when necessary to avoid any range issues), and focus on trying to make chord tones fall on the beat. The dominant bebop scale is basically a mixolydian scale with an extra passing note inserted between the root and the b7. Wes Montgomery is on fire as always, listen and take note! When paired with arpeggiation, the major bebop scale is a great way to create linear motion over major 7th chords. It is important to note that the notion of bebop scales is a concept that arose after bebop had already emerged as a distinct style of jazz. For example, D Dorian minor (D-7) and G Mixolydian (G7) have the same notes, as both are derived from their “parent scale” – C major. This is a follow up lesson to our major bebop scale lesson. And this is where you’ll find the melodic characteristic of the scale most useful. The "Jazz Melodic Minor" Scale. C7 bebop scale (natural 7 th added) One technique that many great players use is approaching a ii-V by thinking only of the V7 chord. In this post, I’ll hopefully shine some light on where these useful scales […] The major bebop scale is essentially a major scale (also called the Ionian mode) with an added passing tone: the b6. Above is a terrific example of the dominant bebop scale (key of Bb) being played. This should sound like music to your ears. Major Bebop Scale in C: C, D, E, F, G, Ab, A, B, C. The major bebop scale can be used over any major 7 th chord so 6, 6/9, major 9, major 7 and the many variations. And as you’ll see, this is something that all great improvisers do in their solos. Steve defines links as lines or patterns that are outside of the major bebop scale. When it’s time to improvise all they can see is that one scale they’ve spent hours practicing. Bebop scales appear to have emerged as a theoretical concept in the first few decades after the emergence of bebop as a distinct jazz style, which occurred around the time of the Second World War in the late 1930s/early 1940s. Although arpeggiating chords and outlining harmonic guide-tones are useful approaches all aspiring jazz musicians should master, it will give you even more ideas and greater flexibility as an improviser if you master bebop scales as well. This is shown in figure and audio example 9a. The use of this two notes gives the chord progression a "Jazzy flavor." The bebop scale stems from the bebop language invented by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell and other legendary jazz musicians from the early to mid-1940’s. As well as being able to use Bebop Scales in major keys, you can also use them in minor keys. Scales can be one of the most overwhelming parts of learning jazz improvisation. Apply the melodic motion of this scale to the V7 chords in your solos. 3. 1 by David Baker 6:13 #4 Barry Harris’ Chromatic Rule. 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