Mastering Bebop Scales

Introduction To ...
10.02.03 12:09
Welcome to "Mastering The Bebopscales"
Purpose
The purpose of this website is to provide exercises to make the bebopscales work for
you. If you are interested in practicing bebop-inflected lines, this is just your site.
GOALS
Flowing/legato playing
The idea of this is to help you sound more fluent, more flowing, more bebop. The
frequent use of chromatic tones made the beboppers sound more fluent than the
bigger intervals used during the swing era, where arpeggios ruled the improvisations.
Smaller, chromatic intervals are hard to hear at first. For beginning musicians hardly
easy, but as you practice it more, youll get more adept. Charlie Parker came to this
additional chromaticism through long hours of study and he commented on his
studying habits a lot. Analysing the music, listening to classical music and practicing
as he did, he became if not the inventor- the hero of bebop music.
You should listen to bebop-players a lot (not only Parker, but also Miles and more
advanced modern players like Yusef Lateef and Coltrane) to hear how they flowed
throughout their improvisations. Yet they tended to phrase very carefully,
emphasising some notes, ghosting others. They sound legato, but never dull.
Playing fast
Charlie Parker played fast, unbelievably fast, like lightning. Whether you will be able
to play as fast is only up to you and how many hours you are prepared to study.
Amateurs like myself will probably never play as fast as Bird, but still, you can do a
great jobs on slower tempos. Think of yourself as Miles on the Prestige-albums.
Slower than Bird, but Bebop bebop bebop...
It will make you play fluent double-time lines and still sound meaningful. No
scalerunning as youll hear a lot of beginners do, but clear and fast beboplines.
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Introduction To ...
10.02.03 12:09
Playing changes fluently

Playing bebop is also about connecting the chords. In Swing there was a lot of
arpeggiating going on, Bebop emphasised the use of chromatic tones and landing the
chord tones on the strong beats. If you use the rules of thumb in these exercises, it
will make you easier to connect the chords in the harmony. Listen to what Charlie
Parker did on all of these great bebop-tunes and standards. He nailed the changes
right there.
Sounding mainstream
If you practice these exercises, you will eventually sound Bebop. Revolutionary in the
40s, mainstream (in the jazzworld) today. Though this is true, you just might like
bebop and want to infuse your playing with bebop-elements.
You should also remember that the great geniuses of modern jazz (Coltrane, Miles,
Steve Coleman) worshipped Charlie Parker and came to their revolutionary music
through and after the thorough study of bebop.
Will this make you more reactionary, will you become old-fashioned. I dont believe it.
It will turn your ear and your playing to the intricacies of bebop. You should keep an
open eye to the really modern players (Steve Coleman, probably seen in thirty years
as the Charlie Parker of the 21st century). Even if I dont like esthetically- what goes
on in modern jazz (John Zorn, Threadgill) and am more moved by mainstream, I am
always open to the great revolutionaries of this music.
What do I like? If i were to take four albums to a deserted Island
Kind of Blue (Miles Davis)
Gnu High (Kenny Wheeler)
Any recording of the Keith Jarett trio
Any recording of the European Quartet of Charles Lloyd
Pretty lame, h?
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Pagina op het hoogste niveau 1
10.02.03 12:10
How to practice
If you practice these ideas you could use two methods: cycles and chord changes.
1.
Cycles
You could practice all these exercices on cycles of chords. For instance using the cycle
of fourths so as to practice in all keys each different chord.
It can help your ear and develop your sense of chords. Especially useful for practicing
the techniques on stranger scales, like phrygian, lydian, altered and so on.
2. Chord changes and standards slow at first...

You could take a standard or a song, read over the chords and then take an exercise
and use it over the whole chorus. At first you dont use a steady beat. Just pay
attention to using the techniques. Then play it at slow tempos first, then till you
master and use these techniques at a comfortable tempo till you reach the right
tempo.
Dont worry if you cant play Beboptunes at 300 bpm. Go over your Prestigerecordings of Miles and relax, dont worry.
Above all, be patient. Master each technique thoroughly before moving on. It could take you minutes, hours of months, who cares. Each step is a
step forward. BE PATIENT and practice as much as youre comfortable with. Dont expect miracles, but youll definitely be sounding more bebop
as you progress....
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Projectweb -- Planning
10.02.03 11:57
LIST OF SCALES
The principle for the bebopscales is easy. For each dominant or minor chord that
isnt a I chord, you insert an extra chromatic tone in between b7 and the root.
For each major chord or minor chord that is a I chord, you insert an extra
chromatic tone in between the 5th and 6th.
For harmonic major and harmonic minor, you could use the same principle, but
these scales are not covered. The I chord of harmonic major doesnt have a
bebopscale.
Using the bebopscale of dominant and dominantb6 (melodic minor).
I frequently use the dominant bebopscale on other chords:
Phrygian: if you play the dominant bebopscale from the third of the phrygian
scale, you sound fine.
Lydian: if you play the dominant bebopscale from the second of the lydian scale,
... gorgeous
Aeolian: if you play the dominant bebopscale from the b7th, it sounds great.
Locrian: if you play the dominant bebopscale from the b6th, you sound bebop
Altered: if you play the dominantb6 bebopscale from the b6th or #5th, it sounds
wonderful
Dominant#11 or lydian dominant: if you play the dominatb6 bebopscale from the
second, you ll end up sounding fantastic.
Major
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Ten note scale
Dorian
Ten note scale
Phrygian
Ten note scale
Lydian
Ten note scale
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Dominant
Ten note scale
Aeolian
Ten note scale
Locrian
Ten note scale
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Melodic Minor
Ten note scale
Lydian dominant
Ten note scale
Locrian (mel minor)
Ten note scale
Altered
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10.02.03 11:57
Ten note scale
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Projectweb -- Status
10.02.03 12:09
RULES OF THUMB
1.
2.
3.
4.
Starting on a chord tone is always ok

Moving to a chord tone from a weak beat: insert NO or an even number of notes
Moving to a chord tone from a strong beat: insert ONE or an UNEVEN number of notes
On skips:
a. Octave displacement is always ok (doesnt interrupt the flow)
b. If youre still on track (CTs on a strong beat, NCTs on a weak beat)
Skips from any CT to any NCT are always ok
Skips from any NCT to any CT are always ok
c. When skipping from any CT to any CT or any NCT to any NCT: insert ONE or an
UNEVEN number of notes before continuing
Chromatic
Diatonic
Beat STRONG BEAT
WEAK BEAT
Starting
note
Chord tone OK Insert NO or
an EVEN number
of notes before
continuing.
Insert ONE or an
UNEVEN number of
notes before continuing
NonChord
Tone
OK Insert NO or an
EVEN number of notes
before continuing
Insert ONE or an
UNEVEN number
of notes before
continuing
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1.1. The Old Up And Down
10.02.03 12:00
1) The old up and down

You can create very powerful phrases just running up and down (following the
changes as they go by) and not changing direction before you run out of keys or
strings or cymbals.
Examples
NOTE: before moving to Cmaj 7 I had to insert an extra chromatic tone in order
to start the first beat of the third bar with a chord tone. Were talking rule of
thumb n3 here: moving to a chord tone from a strong beat (4th beat of the G7
chord), insert one or an uneven number of notes.
Using the whole-tone scale (starting whole tone things on the third beat...)
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1.1. The Old Up And Down
10.02.03 12:00
Examples
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1.2.Random Changing
10.02.03 12:01
1) Random changing
Remember you can change direction on every note. If you do it right, you will
always have your chord tones on a strong beat.
NOTE: before moving to the third bar I already anticipated the Cmaj7 bebopscale
one beat ahead.
Examples
Using diminished
Using Whole Tone
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1.2.Random Changing
10.02.03 12:01
Examples
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1.3. Delay Chord Tones
10.02.03 12:02
Delaying chord tones and then continuing up or changing

direction
If you are running up and down, you might want to delay the chord tones by an
EVEN number of notes like in this example:
From above with two extra notes for example
Examples
NOTA BENE: A small note on approach notes. If you are approaching a
chord tone from above, you should definitely want to use a diatonic tone
(see note). If you are approaching a chord tone from below, you could use
chromatic approach tones.
Note: But: its just in case you want to sound bebop. Remember Bill Frisell... His
teacher told him what the avoid notes are and being a rebellious little gangster
he checked these out first, only to emphasize them in his playing. It makes him
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10.02.03 12:02
a wonderful musician, far removed from bebop, but what beauty and
modernity... Great!
Or from above and below (one note above, one note below)
Or by inserting an extra half step from below
Examples
Using four notes can make things even more interesting
Using diminished
Examples
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10.02.03 12:02
Using Whole Tone
Examples
Example
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1.4. Combining CT and Octave Displacement
10.02.03 12:05
Combining delaying the chord tone with octave displacement
In this example I use the fifth mode of harmonic minor on A altered.
What happens: I move to the chord tone from above, then progress downwards
but an octave higher and then I approach the next chord tone with a delay (even
number of notes).
Another example in which I approach the last chord tone with a different kind of
delay...
Listen
Just to show you what is possible, the old II-V. Its a little bit stupid-sounding, but
shows you what you can do with this powerful technique.
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1.4. Combining CT and Octave Displacement
10.02.03 12:05
Using diminished
Listen
Using Whole Tone
Listen
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1.5. Coltrane Blues Thing
10.02.03 12:06
The Coltrane Blues Thing

.
From CT down
In one of his late-50s solo recordings he starts his chorus on the blues like this
From the point of view of Mastering the Bebop Scales he does something very
specific: every time he hits a chord tone, he goes in the other direction and plays
the chromatic neighbouring tone (approach note, if you will).
The use of this can be limitless, keeping your bebopscale in mind.
Lets take another blues example, but start on a different chord tone.
Listen
See whats happening?
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10.02.03 12:06
Lets go back to the old II-V and make up an example using dorian and
mixolydian...
Now for the use of Diminished...
Listen
And for the Whole Tone Scale
Listen
But what if we turn the phrase upside down. Moving down, that is, instead of
moving up.
Well, the same thing goes...
Listen
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10.02.03 12:06
Another way is:

From the CT up
Listen
Listen
Downwards it gives you
Listen
Using Diminished
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10.02.03 12:06
Listen
Using Whole Tone
Listen
To a CT
A bit strange, since the chord tones dont fall on strong beats is the following
example (but then again, its only theory, isnt it...?)
Listen
Watch out for the seventh. You should use it, but it behaves strangly... you could
try this...
I put a little egg over the seventh....
Listen
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10.02.03 12:06
Diminshed sounds just fine
Listen
Whole tone s nice too...
Listen
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2.1. One small Note
10.02.03 12:12
1) Just one small note (for example: from a chord tone to the
third above and then back, or to the fifth and then back)
An example using a third above and moving downwards.
Nota Bene: I use the third as in a regular scale. So, if you take the third of the
b7th of a dominant scale, you play the ninth and not the root.
Listen
Lets just say you skip to the third, but you dont return to the original
chord tone but to the next non-chord tone. Then youll have to insert an
extra chromatic tone from above or below before the next chord tone.
Again, notice the trouble with the seventh of the dominant chord! I havent
resolved this to any set of solutions. Its a dilemma: deal with it, you can
try to solve the problem, but you might as well leave it there with a
question mark. Still, this sounds good.
Listen
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2.1. One small Note
10.02.03 12:12
A third possibility is skipping to lets say a third- and then continuing not
with the starting CT but with a lower CT: listen,
Listen
Listen to how well it sounds with the diminished scale:
Listen
Try different intervals

Fourths:
Listen
Listen
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2.1. One small Note
10.02.03 12:12
Listen
Fifths.......experiment
Sixths.........experiment
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2.2. Approaching Chord Tones
10.02.03 12:13
Approaching each chord-tone from the opposite direction

If you are playing from low to high instead of inserting the next NCT before
approaching a CT, you take the NCT after the CT you are approaching. Lets make
it clear with an example:
Listen
Or Diminished
Listen
Or Whole Tone
Listen
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10.02.03 12:13
From high to low you can use the NCT after the next CT you are reaching for
Diatonically:
Listen
Or Chromatically
Listen
The same goes for the Diminished (even though you stick to the diatonic tones)
Listen
For the Whole Tone Scale I suggest you stick to the diatonic tones also, listen...
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10.02.03 12:13
Listen
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2.3. From any CT to any NCT
10.02.03 12:13
From any NCT to any CT or from any CT to any NCT

From any non chord tone to any chord tone...
Just the principles outlined in the rules of thumb.
In the example I focus on the G dominant scale, just to be sure...
Listen
Listen
Using diminished
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2.3. From any CT to any NCT
10.02.03 12:13
Listen
Using Whole-Tone-Scale
Listen
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2.4. From any CT to any CT
10.02.03 12:14
From any CT to any CT and from any NCT to any NCT
Lets just say you like to bend the rules a little and you want to move from CT to
CT. Well, no problem, just insert an extra tone before reaching the next CT.
Listen
Listen
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3.1. One Start Note
10.02.03 12:14
One starting note

From below
If you approach the starting chord tone from below, you might consider using a
(chromatic) approach tone. You will prefer to start on a weak beat...
Listen
Using wider intervals you could get:
Listen
From above
If you approach it from above you will mostly use a diatonic tone. Using a
chromatic approach tone from above will make you sound more modern, but this
course is focusing on bebop-phrasing.
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3.1. One Start Note
10.02.03 12:14
Listen
Using wider intervals would get you into this example
Listen
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3.2. Two Starting Notes
10.02.03 12:15
Two starting notes

From above
You insert an extra chromatic tone if the distance is a whole tone. Refer to from
above and below if the distance is only a half tone...
Listen
You could also use two diatonic tones...
Listen
From below
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10.02.03 12:15
Listen
Listen
Or you could also use two diatonic tones
Listen
From above and below
Mostly you would use a chromatic approach note from below and not a diatonic
tone
Listen
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10.02.03 12:15
Listen
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3.3. Three Starting Notes
10.02.03 12:16
Three starting notes
Listen
Listen
Listen
Listen
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3.3. Three Starting Notes
10.02.03 12:16
Listen
Listen
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3.4. Four Starting Notes
10.02.03 12:16
Four starting notes
You expand on the ideas you have already learned. I will limit myself to some examples...
Listen
Listen
Listen
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4.1. Chromatic Stretches
10.02.03 12:18
Chromatic Stretches
Inserting a larger number of notes (even or uneven)
Bridging the interval of an uneven number of half steps:

The following intervals have an uneven number of half steps:
Minor Third
Fourth
Fifth
Sixth
Major Seventh
The rule here is
If you start on a strong beat: insert an extra tone before the CT you want to
reach. You can do this by approaching the CT from above or using the technique
described in Methenisms, Milesisms.
If you start on a weak beat, insert no extra tones...
Say you want to approach the b7th of G7 from the 4th: this makes an interval of
a Fifth. Then you insert an extra tone...
Listen
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10.02.03 12:18
Listen
Say you want to approach the third of G7 from the fifht of G7. This is an interval
of a Third. The same goes here...
Listen
Listen
Same goes for the other direction: going up gives you the same rules as above:
Listen
Lets go for the sixth interval: from b7 of G7 to the 5th of G7:
Listen
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Bridging the interval of an even number of half steps:

Intervals with an even number of intervals are:
Major third
#11
#5
b6
b7
Here the rule is: If you start on a strong beat and the CT that you want to reach
is an even number of halfsteps away, you have to insert NO or an even number
of notes. You just walk chromatically to the CT.
On the other hand: if you start on a weak beat, insert one or an uneven number
of notes.
Take the same exercises as above, but with intervals with an even number of
half steps.
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4.2. Methenisms, Milesisms
10.02.03 12:19
Methenisms, Milesisms
Pat Metheny, a dedicated follower of Miles Davis embellishes lines by inserting

ghost notes a third or minor third lower. The emphasis is on the notes on the
strong beats and the notes in between are just slightly touched on, hardly played,
you cant identify them, but they are mildly dissonant, and should be...
Listen
Miles used this technique extensively far before Pat Metheny could even say mama or pa-pa. Miles didnt use these ghost notes (intervals of thirds and minor
thirds), but used whole steps down as ghost notes. Oh Miles.........., man....
Listen
Principle is:
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4.2. Methenisms, Milesisms
10.02.03 12:19
If you start on a strong beat insert the ghost tone immediately after your starting
tone. By the time you reach the CT, youre back in sync
Listen
If you start on a weak beat, go down a chromatic tone before inserting your
ghost tone and then continue...
Listen
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4.3. Triplets
10.02.03 12:20
Using triplets
First some examples....
Listen
Listen
So, whats the idea behind the use of triplets. Triplets break the flow of the eighth
notes, so you have to add an extra chromatic tone to regain the flow of chord
tones on strong beats, if you stay within the scale without skips.
Triplets add a nice touch, you get off course, and you get back by inserting that
extra note, terrific.
You can expand on this using arpeggios and so on. For these, the rules all go. If
you use a three note arpeggio, you should check your next note after the triplet.
If you land on a chord tone (on this first beat, a strong beat), nothings wrong, if
you land on a non chord tone, you should add an extra half tone...
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4.3. Triplets
10.02.03 12:20
Listen
Listen
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4.4. Arpeggio's
10.02.03 12:20
Using arpeggios
Arpeggio turnback
Listen
We use our chord tone as a starting point and the arpeggio turns back to it.
If you use three note arpeggios as in the example above, you land on a non-chord
tone on a strong beat. You should consider inserting an extra chromatic tone.
The arpeggio can be turned upside down like in the following example
Listen
If you use four-note-arpeggios, you stay far removed from trouble.
Listen
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4.4. Arpeggio's
10.02.03 12:20
Arpeggios to continue
Between the chord tone and the next tone you insert the three note arpeggio from
the next tone and then continue down or up or changing direction
Listen
You could think of the same two notes F and E and consider taking a three note
arpeggio from above, but as much as I advise you to use your imagination- use
your ears to judge if its any good.
Leaping off the scale with arps
You can always insert arpeggios but keep in mind the rules of thumb. If the last note
of your arpeggio is a CT on a weak beat, insert an uneven number of notes before
continuing. If its a CT on a strong beat alls well. If the last note is a NCT on a weak
beat, youre ok, if its on a strong beat insert an uneven number of notes before
continuing..
Listen
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5.1. Embellish Triads
10.02.03 12:21
Embellishing the triad
1 embellishing tone
Approaching from below (means using chromatic tones)
Approaching from above (means using diatonic tones)
2 embellishing tones
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10.02.03 12:21
3 approach notes
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10.02.03 12:21
You can find as many examples as you can think of... its up to you...
Examples
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5.2. Embellish Scale tones
10.02.03 12:22
Embellishing every scale tone
After the chord tone I went up to the next diatonic tone, you could easily use the
third, to great effect...
Sounds beautiful with dominant b9th
Examples
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Mastering Bebop Scales

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Mastering Bebop Scales

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Introduction To ...

Welcome to "Mastering The Bebopscales"

Playing changes fluently

Pagina op het hoogste niveau 1

2. Chord changes and standards slow at first...

Ten note scale

Ten note scale

Ten note scale

Ten note scale

Ten note scale

Ten note scale

Ten note scale

Ten note scale

Ten note scale

Locrian (mel minor)

Ten note scale

Ten note scale

Starting on a chord tone is always ok

1.1. The Old Up And Down

1) The old up and down

1.1. The Old Up And Down

Using Whole Tone

1.3. Delay Chord Tones

Delaying chord tones and then continuing up or changing

From above with two extra notes for example

1.3. Delay Chord Tones

Or by inserting an extra half step from below

Using four notes can make things even more interesting

1.3. Delay Chord Tones

Using Whole Tone

1.4. Combining CT and Octave Displacement

Combining delaying the chord tone with octave displacement

In this example I use the fifth mode of harmonic minor on A altered.

1.4. Combining CT and Octave Displacement

Using Whole Tone

1.5. Coltrane Blues Thing

The Coltrane Blues Thing

1.5. Coltrane Blues Thing

Now for the use of Diminished...

And for the Whole Tone Scale

1.5. Coltrane Blues Thing

Another way is:

Downwards it gives you

1.5. Coltrane Blues Thing

Using Whole Tone

1.5. Coltrane Blues Thing

Diminshed sounds just fine

Whole tone s nice too...

2.1. One small Note

2.1. One small Note

Listen to how well it sounds with the diminished scale:

Try different intervals

2.1. One small Note

2.2. Approaching Chord Tones

Approaching each chord-tone from the opposite direction

2.2. Approaching Chord Tones

2.2. Approaching Chord Tones

2.3. From any CT to any NCT

From any NCT to any CT or from any CT to any NCT

2.3. From any CT to any NCT

2.4. From any CT to any CT

From any CT to any CT and from any NCT to any NCT

3.1. One Start Note

One starting note