Be-Bop Scale Basics

(Copyright@The Jazz Education Store 2006 / Purchase the complete Ultimate Jazz
by Scott Wilson

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What is a Be-Bop Scale?
The Be-bop scale can be easily thought of as a Major Scale with an added b7 scale degree. Because of the added b7 scale
degree, the be-bop scale is used over dominant chords which are spelled with chord tones 1, 3, 5, b7.

"What's so special about the be-bop scale and why is it so useful in jazz?"

Many people ask the above question. For starters, the be-bop scale has both the b7 and the natural 7th in the scale. This
extra note in the scale allows improvisors to always be landing on chord-tones when playing the scale in eighth-notes or
sixteen-notes (See example below). Notice that all the chord-tones fall on the downbeats. The downbeats spell an F7 and
the scale being used is the F Be-bop Scale.

œ b œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ
F7 F B e-bop Scale

& c œ œ œ bœ œ œœœœ Œ

Jazz Gem * Notice that the chord-tones always fall on downbeats (which, in jazz, is the longer of the two
eighth-notes). With the long downbeats always falling on chord tones this helps clarifiy the sound of the
chord.

Putting Together Burning Be-bop Lines: It's Easy

Understanding the 3 basic ROTATIONS!
To understand the ways the Be-bop Scale can be used in jazz to facilitate soloing and connecting ideas, you need to
investigate "rotations." In jazz, "rotations" are notes that encompass a "target note" and draw it out by approaching
the note from above and below.
R1
& .. œ ..
3 2 b2 7 1
R1 = Rotation to the first scale degree. Although
this rotation ends on the first scale degree, it
starts on the 3rd scale degree and approaches the
œ bœ œ œ Œ
first scale degree from a half-step below (E to F).

R3 5 4 2 #2 3

& .. œ b œ œ #œ œ Œ ..
R3 = Rotation to the 3rd scale degree. Although
this rotation ends on the 3rd scale degree, it
starts on the 5th scale degree and appoaches the
3rd scale degree from a half-step below
(G# to A).

R5
. bœ œ œ œ œ œ Œ ..
b7 6 5 #4 6 5

& .
R5 = Rotation to the 5th scale degree. Although
this rotation ends on the 5th scale degree, it starts
on the 7b scale degree and appoaches the 5th
scale degree from a half-step below (B to C).
3
 Be-Bop Scale Basics- page 2
Understanding the 3 Basic CONNECTORS!
Connectors are what make rotations string-together to create long be-bop lines. Below are 3 basic connectors.

œ b œn œ œ œ b œ œ œ b œ œ
C1 = The Be-bop Scale

& œœ œ b œ œ œœ Œ Ó
You can use these to connect

œ bœ œ œ œ œ Œ Ó
rotations R1, R3, and R5

& .. œ b œ œ ..
C2 = 3rd to the 7b Up.

C3 = 3rd to the b7 down.

& .. œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ b œ œ Œ Ó ..

Now lets makes some great be-bop lines.

Turn on a medium tempo F Blues and try the following exercise.

bœ nœ œ œ bœ œ œ bœ
& .. œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ ..
First just play the F be-bop scale as smooth as possible for a few choruses.

. œ œ b œ œ œ œ .. .. œ
b œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ b œ ..
Next, loop 3rd to the b7 down for a few choruses

. œ
Next, loop the b3 to b7 up for a few choruses.

&

. œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ b œ ..
Next, pair together the 3rd to the b7 up and 3rd to the b7 down. Play this for a few choruses until it feels smooth.

& . œ b œ

Next, loop R1 to R3. Use the F Be-bop Scale as the connector.

& .. œ œ b œ œ œ n œ œ b œ œ b œ œ # œ œ n œ b œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ # œ ..
Connector is Connector is
R1 Be-bop Scale R3 R1 Be-bop Scale R3
 Be-Bop Scale Basics - page 3

Next, loop R1 to R3 to R5 to R3 to R1 (your are rotating to chord-tones 1, 3, 5, 3, 1).

œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ # œ œ œ b œ Œ ..
& .. œ œ b œ œ œ n œ œ b œ œ b œ œ # œ œ œ œ
3

œœ
Connector is
R1 Be-bop Scale R3 Connector is R5 R3 R1
3rd to 7b up

Next, try looping R5 to R3.

b œ b œ
& .. œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ # œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ b œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ ..
3 3

R5 R3 Connector is R5 R3 Connector is
3rd to b7 up 3rd to b7 up

Next, Try combining other combinations (see below).

b œ
& .. œ b œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ b œ œ # œ œ n œ œ œ b œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ # œ ..
3

Connector is
Connector is R5 R3 3rd to b7 down R3
3rd to b7 up

œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ b œ œ
. œb œ n œ œb œ œ œ b œ œ œb œ
.
& œœ œ b œ œ œ # œ œ n œb œ œ ..
Connector is
Be-bop Scale R3 Connector is
3rd to b7 down
R1 Connector is
Be-bop Scale R3 R1
This should get you started with regards to understanding how the Be-bop Scale creates be-bop lines. Now, for your
own practice, try to string-together the following combinations in your own way. Remember to use the Connectors to move
from Rotation to Rotation. Also keep in mind that you can start a musical idea with a Connector (i.e. starting with the 3rd to
the b7 up).

#1 R1 to R5 (loop it with repeats until it is smooth.)

#2 R3 to R1 to R5 (loop it with repeats until it is smooth.)
#3 R5 to R5 (loop it with repeats until it is smooth).
#4 Invent several combinations yourself and play them for
your class/friends/teacher.
BEBOP EXERCISES
© Jason Lyon 2008
www.opus28.co.uk/jazzarticles.html

INTRODUCTION

Bebop is all about being able to play any chromatic tone on any chord. Obviously, if we just
play chromatically with free abandon, the harmony goes out the window. Theory dictates that
we place strong tones on strong beats to best convey the harmony. The principle is simple –
these exercises are designed to help you get that theory into your hands and ears.

The exercises should be taken round the keys – but don’t write them out and learn them by
rote. What we’re after is mindful, rather than mindless repetition.

Take the following figure as an example:

C7

Our mental process when practising this figure is something like this: “Okay, starting on the
downbeat with the dominant 7th, we play a scale tone down to the 6th (or 13th) and then
approach the 5th – our target destination – by playing a semitone above and below it.” It can
actually be very helpful to speak this kind of analysis aloud while practising (the first sign of
madness). At any point you should be able to name the chord tone being played and the beat
it falls on.

Once we’ve got these figures into our bloodstream by learning them with this kind of mental
process, they (or bits of them) will become easily available to us when we’re up there soloing
for real.

Take them through all the keys. This will help you to learn the “geography” of each key.

© Jason Lyon 2008

www.opus28.co.uk/jazzarticles.html, [email protected]
i. Bebop scales (down and up)

The bebop scales add a chromatic passing tone to the basic scales so that strong chord
tones occur on the strong beats. The strong chord tones are root, 3rd, 5th and 7th on the
dominant chord and root, 3rd, 5th and 6th (not 7th) on tonic major and minor chords.

C7 bebop scale (natural 7th added)

C tonic major bebop scale (sharp 5th added)

C tonic minor bebop scale (sharp 5th added)

ii. Bebop scales (with direction changes)

This exercise develops flexibility in changing the direction of a bebop scale line.

C7

CM

Cm

© Jason Lyon 2008

www.opus28.co.uk/jazzarticles.html, [email protected]
iii. Diminished scale descending

The use of a half-step whole-step diminished scale over the dominant chord is very common
in bebop. Note that the top four notes of this scale are the same as the straight dominant
scale – the bit you have to work on is the bottom four notes. Think of it like this: root, split the
2nd (more commonly described as the 9th) in half – raise it and lower it, 3rd, raise the 4th (more
commonly described as the 11th). This exercise will work over either a II-V-I or a V-I.

C7 FM

It’s good to play the whole diminished scale like this to get the whole picture, but as long as
you’re totally solid on your dominant scales, you could condense this exercise by just playing
the bottom half of the scale (descending from the sharp 4th).

iv. Diminished arpeggio-scale figures

This exercise features ascending arpeggios and descending scales on the V diminished
followed by the nearest possible chord tone of the following I chord.

C7 FM C7 FM

C7 FM C7 FM

v. Upper extension arpeggio-scale figure

The same sort of “up the arpeggio, down the scale” figure is also commonly used from the 7th
of the V chord (or the 3rd of the II). This exercise will work over either a II-V-I or a V-I.

C7 FM

© Jason Lyon 2008

www.opus28.co.uk/jazzarticles.html, [email protected]
vi. Chord tones enclosures

This exercise uses the pattern of scale tone above then semitone below the target chord tone.

C7

CM

Cm

Other possibilities are: scale tone above then scale tone below, semitone above then scale
tone below and semitones above and below. These enclosures can also be inverted,
approaching the target tone from below then above.

It’s also possible to use this kind of enclosure with non-chord tones, but if you play them on
the downbeat, the line will resume with the chord tones out of sync. When this occurs you add
another chromatic tone, skip a scale tone or syncopate the line to get things back on track.

vii. Chromatic dithering between chord tones

This exercise is all about taking four, rather than two notes to get between chord tones. The
pattern is: descend by scale tone, then approach the target tone by upper and lower
chromatic neighbour – with two exceptions. When descending from the 5th to the major 3rd,
we have to play down chromatically first in order to leave room for the chromatic enclosure of
the target tone. When descending from the 6th to the 5th there’s even less room to manoeuvre,
so we have to first descend chromatically then ascend to the target tone. In this context it’s
useful to include the descent from the 9th to the 7th on the dominant and minor 7th chords.

C7

CM

Cm

Cm7

© Jason Lyon 2008

www.opus28.co.uk/jazzarticles.html, [email protected]
A common variation on this pattern is to switch the penultimate chromatic into second place,
like this:

C7

There are many other possible permutations – listen out for them, dig them out from
transcriptions or just figure them out for yourself (the best option by far). Remember, though,
that whatever you come up with has to sound good to you. It has to have the bebop ring to it.

viii. Short II-V-I (V-I) pattern

This exercise is a classic bebop lick that fits over either a V chord or the whole of a short II-V,
rounded off by a resolving figure using chromatic enclosure of the root of the I chord.

Dm7 G7 CM

ix. Long II-V-I pattern

We play the previous exercise over the V chord and precede it by a simple cell figure (1 2 3 4
5 3 2 1) clearly outlining the triad of the II chord.

Dm7 G7 CM

x. Long I-VI-II-V pattern

We take the previous exercise and precede it with a phrase to cover the I and VI chords. The
pattern over the I chord is the same cell figure as we’ve used over the II chord (1 2 3 4 5 4 3
1). The pattern used over the VI chord can be thought of in the following way: “second, root,
chromatic under root, root, fifth, chromatic above fifth, third, fifth”. Note that the final two notes
of this phrase form an enclosure of the root of the II chord that follows. This exercise is a very
good way of assimilating the “geography” of each key.

CM A7 Dm7 G7 CM

© Jason Lyon 2008

www.opus28.co.uk/jazzarticles.html, [email protected]
xi. Descending dominant pattern

This exercise combines a variation on the downward “dither” from 7th to 5th with a descending
triadic cell (5 3 2 1) and finally a descending diminished scale line. As this example
demonstrates, there are all sorts of great sounding combinations of these exercises and
principles.

C7

xii. Ascending dominant pattern

This exercise begins with an ascending scale pattern then uses an ascending chromatic
enclosure of the 5th. We then play a four-note arpeggio up from the 5th, descend three notes
of the diminished scale and approach the target tone (the root) by lower chromatic neighbour.

C7

xiii. Resolution patterns

This exercise gives two common figures for resolving on the tonic chord. The first figure can
be thought of as a descending pentatonic, but with the target tone (the 6th) enclosed by upper
and lower scale tones. The second figure is a descending scale with chromatic approach to
the 3rd (in major) or chromatic enclosure to the 3rd (in minor).

CM

Cm

Then there’s this figure, which is very typical of Parker. It’s commonly used in major, but can
be adapted to minor. Think of it like this: 5th, scale tone/chromatic up to root, scale tone/
chromatic down to 3rd, then down the major pentatonic (note how it exploits the point in the
major scale where scale tones are the same as chromatic approaches). One option then has
the line returning to the root (still within the pentatonic scale), as shown:

CM optional extension

© Jason Lyon 2008

www.opus28.co.uk/jazzarticles.html, [email protected]
WHY PRACTISE THIS STUFF?

Don’t want to learn patterns? Want to be a genuine original? Learning patterns would be
pointless anyway, because you’d never remember them when you’re soloing for real?

Sure, we practise these patterns and fragments so that they’ll be available to us when we’re
up there, in action, in the spotlight. But as long as we’re mindful while we practise – as long
as we have the right attentive attitude, we’re also training ourselves to apply sound musical
principles, and that’s far more important than the lick we happen to be working on at the time.
The process is the thing, the lick or pattern is merely the raw material.

The journey really is more important than the destination. And the journey never ends.
Michael Brecker never stopped practising, so why should you?

I’d advise against trying to regurgitate great chunks of memorised bebop lines when you’re
performing, for two reasons. First, however well you’ve practised it, a “trotted out” line will
tend to sound false if you force it. Second, you’ll screw it up anyway. Your expectations will
get in the way. But, and here’s the point, DO practise great chunks.

To paraphrase Charlie Parker, explore the possibilities at home then go out and just play.

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

Be aware that when you put in place a programme of practice in order to change the way you
play, it’s going to disrupt your playing for a while. It’s just like the way your body builds muscle
– tear, build, heal, tear, build, heal.

So the initial impact of this kind of practice will be to make your playing worse. Don’t panic –
stick with it. What you work on now will start to appear in your playing after a few months. If
you genuinely want to learn and improve, accept the fact that you have to “break” the way you
play now. Have faith that what you’re working on now will eventually sink into your
subconscious and then it will appear in your playing. In fact, you’ll find this stuff will start to
inform your playing in all kinds of interesting ways that you couldn’t consciously dictate.

Best of luck, and feel free to get in touch with me at:

[email protected]

Jason Lyon
London
January 2008

© Jason Lyon 2008

www.opus28.co.uk/jazzarticles.html, [email protected]