13/6/2019 Bebop scale - Wikipedia

Bebop scale
The bebop scales 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. According to Corey Christiansen, "David Baker, one of the world's
finest jazz educators, named these scales the 'bebop scales' because they were used so often by jazz artists from the
Bebop Era. These artists include Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and Dizzy Gillespie, to name a
few."[1]

There are five types of frequently used bebop scales:

1. the bebop dominant scale

2. the bebop Dorian scale
3. the bebop major scale
4. the bebop melodic minor scale
5. the bebop harmonic minor scale
Each of these scales has an extra chromatic passing tone. In general, bebop scales consist of traditional scales with an
added passing tone placed such that when the scale is begun on a chord tone and on the downbeat, all other chord
tones will also fall on downbeats, with the remaining tones in the scale occurring on the upbeat (given that the scale is
played ascending or descending; i.e., no intervallic skips are played).

As such, many heptatonic scales may be modified by the addition of an eighth passing tone to accomplish this same
effect; however, the modifier "bebop" is reserved to indicate those scales most frequently used—and popularized—
during the bebop era (and/or by modern practitioners of the bebop genre).

Contents
Bebop dominant scale
Bebop Dorian scale
Bebop major scale
Bebop melodic minor scale
Bebop harmonic minor scale
See also
Further reading
Sources
External links

Bebop dominant scale

The bebop dominant scale is derived from the Mixolydian mode and has a chromatic passing tone between the 7th
and the root.

0:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebop_scale 1/4
13/6/2019 Bebop scale - Wikipedia

It has all the notes in both the major scale and the Mixolydian scale of the same root. This scale is often used over
dominant seventh chords and all extended dominant chords,[2] and the II-V chord progressions. According to Michael
Miller, "[w]hen someone says they're playing 'the bebop scale,' this is the one they're talking about."[2]

Bebop Dorian scale

The bebop Dorian scale (also known as the bebop minor scale[3][4]) is derived from the Dorian mode and has a
chromatic passing tone between the minor 3rd and the perfect 4th.

0:00

It has all the notes in both the Dorian scale and the Mixolydian scale of the same root. It is the 5th mode of the bebop
dominant scale.

A second form of the bebop Dorian scale features a major seventh bebop note between the dominant seventh and the
tonic.

0:00

The second style, featuring the major seventh, is generally used by guitar players for its accessibility when applied to
traditional minor scale shapes (that is, it is simply easier for guitarists to play). However, many players and resources
adhere to the traditional spelling of the scale.

Bebop major scale

The bebop major scale is derived from the Ionian mode (major scale) and has a chromatic passing tone between the
5th and 6th notes.

0:00

This scale is often used over major sixth chords and major seventh chords.

Bebop melodic minor scale

The bebop melodic minor scale is derived from the ascending form of the melodic minor scale (jazz minor scale)
and has a chromatic passing tone between the 5th and 6th notes.

0:00

It has all the notes of both the ascending form of the melodic minor scale and the harmonic minor scale of the same
root. This scale is often used over minor sixth chords.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebop_scale 2/4
13/6/2019 Bebop scale - Wikipedia

These scales are listed in David N. Baker's books on bebop. They are also included, with the exception of the Dorian
bebop scale, in Roni Ben-Hur's book Talk Jazz: A Comprehensive Collection of Bebop Studies, which is derived from
the work of Barry Harris. Ben-Hur further elaborates on the concept of placing additional chromatic passing tones
between other notes in the scales.

Bebop harmonic minor scale

The bebop harmonic minor scale (or bebop natural minor scale, as listed in Mark Levine's The Drop 2 Book)
is derived from the harmonic minor scale and has a chromatic passing tone (an additional ♭7) between the 6th and the
7th notes.

0:00

It contains all of the notes of both the harmonic minor scale and the natural minor scale (Aeolian mode) of the same
root. It can be used on all three chords of a minor II-V-I progression. It is a mode of the bebop major scale: for
instance, the C bebop harmonic minor scale has the same pitches as the E♭ bebop major scale.

See also
Chord-scale system

Further reading
Scott Black, How to Understand, Practice, and Use (https://web.archive.org/web/20121015172923/http://www.azj
azzartists.com/bebopscales.html)
David Baker, Jazz Improvisation (http://www.alfredpublishing.com/Products/Jazz-Improvisation-Revised--00-2749.
aspx), Alfred.
David Baker, Arranging and Composing (http://www.alfredpublishing.com/Products/Arranging-Composing-Revise
d--00-2750.aspx), Alfred
Hewitt, Michael. 2013. Musical Scales of the World. The Note Tree. ISBN 978-0957547001.
Mark Levine, The Drop 2 Book (http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217474.shtml), Sher Music Co.
Mark Levine, The Jazz Theory Book (http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217040.shtml), Sher Music Co.
Randy Halberstadt, Metaphors For The Musician (http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217121.shtml), Sher Music
Co.
J.Brent / S.Barkley, MODALOGY - scales, modes & chords: the primordial building blocks of music (http://www.hal
leonard.com/product/viewproduct.do?itemid=312274), Hal Leonard Corp.

Sources
1. Christiansen, Corey (2001). Mel Bay Jazz Scales for Guitar, p.48. ISBN 0-7866-5689-1.
2. Miller, Michael (2004). Complete Idiot's Guide to Solos and Improvisation, p.96. ISBN 1-59257-210-3.
3. http://online-musical-scales.com/index.php/bebop-minor-scales
4. http://pianoencyclopedia.com/scales/bebop-minor/C-bebop-minor.html

External links
The Bebop Scale (https://www.jazzguitar.be/blog/bebop-scale/) Theory and Applications for Jazz Guitar
Bebop Line Building Jazz Lesson (http://www.nyjazzacademy.com/jazz-lesson-bebop-line-building/)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebop_scale 3/4
13/6/2019 Bebop scale - Wikipedia

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bebop_scale&oldid=900397303"

This page was last edited on 5 June 2019, at 11:59 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using
this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebop_scale 4/4