7/27/2019 Jazz Scale and Improvisation Tips

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Jazz Scale and Improvisation Tips:

Altered Scale:

melodic minor scale ½ step above the root

Altered scale = Lydian b7 of tritone

C altered scale = F# Lydian b7 OR F# Altered = C Lydian b7

Major pentatonic from the tritone. Add root & 3rd gives all 7 altered scale notes.

b7 Pentatonic (Dominant Pentatonic, Coltrane Pentatonic). From tritone or b13 (b6).Can use both to give all notes of the altered scale

C Dom. Pentatonic = C D E G BbCalt = play Gb Dom Pentatoic & Ab Dom Pentatonic

Diminished Scale:

descending “bluesy lick” on root triad and tritone triad, ex:C triad with flatted 3rd (G Eb E C) + F# triad with flatted 3rd (C# A A# F#)

Build major (or minor) triads a m3rd apart. Example: C - Eb - F# - AAlso works to build dominant seventh chords or minor seventh chords

Can add a b9 to each of the above major triads to create a ascending line a la ChickCorea: C Db E G Eb E G Bb F# F A# C# A Bb C# E... etc.

Two minor seventh chords a tritone apart: Cm7 - F#m7This plays all eight notes of the diminished scale

Two major 6th chords a tritone apart: C6 - F#6this can also be seen as m7 chords on the “other” two notesof the diminished chord: Am7 - Ebm7

Seventh chord plus m7b5 from the b3C7 (C E G Bb)Ebm7b5 (Eb Gb A Db)

Seventh chord plus minor triad from the tritone (leaves out the #9)C7 (C E G Bb)F#m (F# A C#)

Two fully diminished chords ½ step apartCdim - C#dim (or Ebdim - Edim, etc)

Visualize four sets of whole steps each ½ step apart