Scales You Can Use Over A Dominant Chord With A Tritone Substitution

This Jazz Piano Tutorial is about the scales you can use over a dominant chord with a tritone
substitution.
One of the most common chord substitutions in Jazz is the Tritone Substitution. This is a way of substituting
Dominant 7 chords. So a G7 would become a Db7 (the root note is a tritone away). They work because the guide
tones (3rd & 7th) are the same in both chords.
G7 = G B D F
Db7 = Db F Ab B
Ordinarily over a II-V-I in C Major you would just improvise using the C Major scale, or the equivalent modes. But
what if the chord progression was 1/2 a bar of G7 and 1/2 a bar of Db7? Or if someone was comping and you
didn’t know which chord they were going to play?
Db Mixolydian doesn’t quite fit over the G7 chord; and

G Mixolydian doesn’t quite fit over the Db7 chord
You have a number of options when improvising over G7 and/or Db7:

- Play G Mixolydian but avoid the C
- C is an avoid note for G7 and Db7 – so just omit it
- Scales that fit over G7 and Db7
- Wholetone Scale = G A B Db Eb F
- Dominant Diminished Scale = G Ab Bb B Db D E F
- Ab melodic minor = Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F G - AKA G Altered Scale - AKA Db Lydian Dominant
- D melodic minor = D E F G A B C#(Db) - AKA Db Altered Scale - AKA G Lydian Dominant
Tritone Substitution & Scales

Introduction
One of the most common Chord Substitutions in Jazz is the Tritone Substitution. This is a
way of substituting V7 chords. So a G7 would become a D♭7 (the root note is a tritone
away). They work because the Guide Tones (3rd & 7th) are the same in both chords.
 G7 = G B D F
 D♭7 = D♭ F A♭ B
Tritone Substitution and Scales

Ordinarily, you would just use the C Major Scale (or equivalent modes) to improvise over a II-
V-I in C, as shown in Chord Progression #1 below.
ii V7 I
Chord Progression #1 Dm7 G7 CMaj7
Scales D Dorian G Mixolydian C Ionian
Key C Major
Chord Progression #2 Dm7 D♭7 CMaj7
Scales D Dorian D♭ Mixloydian C Ionian
Key C Major G♭ Major C Major
Chord Progression #3 Dm7 G7 - D♭7 CMaj7
Scales D Dorian ? C Ionian
But what if you were to tritone substitute the G7 to D♭7, like in Chord Progression #2 above?
Then you cannot (generally) use the G Mixolydian mode over the D♭7 because it contains
the note C (which is a natural 7th from the point of view of the D♭7). You could, however, play
the D♭ Mixolydian mode (G♭ Major).
 G Mixolydian (C Major) = G A B C D E F
 D♭ Mixolydian (G♭ Major) = D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭
But what if the chord progression was 1/2 a bar of G7 and 1/2 a bar of D♭7, like in Chord
Progression #3 above? Or what if someone was ‘comping and you didn’t know which chord
they were going to play?
 D♭ Mixolydian doesn’t quite fit over the G7 chord; and
 G Mixolydian doesn’t quite fit over the D♭7 chord
And changing scales for 1/2 a bar, especially at a quick tempo, can be challenging and
unnecessarily complex.
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a scale that fit over both G7 AND D♭7? Well, there is. You
have a number of options when improvising over G7 and/or D♭7:
 Play G Mixolydian but avoid the C

o C is an avoid note for G7 and D♭7 – so just omit it
 Scales that fit over G7 and D♭7
o Wholetone Scale = G A B D♭ E♭ F
o Dominant Diminished Scale = G A♭ B♭ B D♭ D E F
o A♭ melodic minor = A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G
 AKA G Altered Scale
 AKA D♭ Lydian Dominant
o D melodic minor = D E F G A B C#
 AKA D♭ Altered Scale
 AKA G Lydian Dominant
So now it doesn’t matter whether the accompaniment plays a G7 or a D♭7, because the
above scales work well over both chords.
Miscellaneous Dominant Facts

A few more interest points about tritone substitution:
 A V7♭5 Chord is its own tritone substitution
o G7♭5 = G B D♭ F = D♭7♭5 = D♭ F G B
 Rootless Voicings of Dominant Chords include the: 3rd, 7th, 9th & 13th (we will
discuss rootless voicings a future lesson)
o Rootless G7 = F A B E
o Rootless G7#9♭13 = Rootless D♭7 = F A# B E♭
 You will often see Tritone Substituted II-V‘s
o When improvising, use the relevant Dorian scale for m7 chords
o The possible combinations and permutations are listed below
Dm7 G7 CMaj7
A♭m7 D♭7 CMaj7
Dm7 D♭7 CMaj7
A♭m7 G7 CMaj7
 G Mixolydian (C Major) = G A B C D E F
 D♭ Mixolydian (G♭ Major) = D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭
TAKE THE G MIXOLYDIAN AND FLAT THE 5TH, OR SHARP THE 4TH AND YOU GET THE D MELODIC MINOR OR THE G
LYDYAN DOMINAT
TAKE THE Db MIXOLYDIAN AND SHARP THE 4 TH AND YOU GET THE LYDYAN DOMINAT OR G ALTERED
Diminished Scale Theory

Willie Myette
Diminished scale theory is usually seen as a dense and confusing topic that is reserved for
advanced theory and harmony classes at the university level. Many advanced masterclasses
have featured some of the world’s greatest musicians talking about how to apply the
diminished scale to improvisation and composition. And while diminished scale theory can be
a very deep field of study, many students appreciate having a basic understanding of what
the diminished scale is and how it is used in music. So in this article, we’ll get you started with
an introduction to diminished scale theory.
Diminished Scale Theory: What is the

Diminished Scale?
The diminished scale has a few different names, including the octatonic scale and the half-
whole scale, but they’re all the same scale. We’ll discuss each briefly.
The diminished scale can be created by stacking two diminished 7th chords a half-step apart
on top of one another:
Notice that the scale has eight unique notes, thus the name octatonic (which literally means
eight tones). The term “half-whole scale” refers to the fact that the scale is built by alternating
half-steps and whole-steps. Starting on ‘C,’ the scale moves up a half-step, then a whole-step,
then half, then whole, etc.
There are really only 3 diminished scales – C, C#, and D. When we build the scale starting on
D# we get the same scale as the C diminished scale, as it is just an inversion of the C
diminished scale. The same is true for the other remaining starting notes.
Diminished Scale Theory: How Is It

Used?
Ok, this is where things can start to get… advanced. The diminished scale has an incredible
amount of theory built into just eight notes. We are only scratching the surface with what
we’re going to discuss below, but what you’re about to learn is perhaps the most important
part of diminished scale theory and the reason it has so many applications and harmonic
potential.
Remember that every 7th chord has a set of guide tones, which refer to the 3rd and 7th of the
chord. Guide tones are important because they give a chord its quality – major, minor,
dominant. In dominant chords, the 3rd and 7th are a tritone away (an interval of a diminished
5th or augmented 4th). So the big secret about the diminished scale is that it contains 4 sets
of tritones, which means… 8 potential dominant chords in this one scale!
Let’s find those tritone sets and their corresponding dominant chords in a C diminished scale:
1. C and F# = D7 chord
2. D# and A = B7 chord
3. C# and G = A7 chord
4. E and Bb = C7 chord
You might be saying, “hey, that’s only 4 dominant chords. You said there were 8. What gives?”
Remember that every dominant chord has a tritone substitution! When you consider the
tritone subs for each dominant chord you get the following:
1. C and F# = D7 and Ab7 chord
2. D# and A = B7 and F7 chord
3. C# and G = A7 and Eb7 chord
4. E and Bb = C7 and F#7 chord
Also remember that every dominant chord can resolve to its ‘I’ chord. So consider the
harmonic POWER inherent in the diminished scale because it has the ability to allow you to
resolve to 8 different ‘I’ chords. A major scale really only has one (or two at most) dominant
chords inherent in the scale.
Understanding Tritone
Substitution
For some reason the term “Tritone Substitution” makes some musicians freeze up
with terror. While tritone substitution sounds like a tricky concept at first, it’s
actually not that complicated. Let’s start with a basic understanding of tritone
substitutions, and then we’ll get more specific and dig deeper throughout this article.
For more on how to solo over a tritone substitution, you can visit my other article.
What is a tritone substitution?

A tritone substitution occurs when you substitute one chord for another chord with
a root a tritone (6 half-steps up or down) away.
This is not a terribly complicated definition, and it allows for more possibilities than
the typical tritone sub.
You can change the quality between the two chords (for example, GbMaj7 as a sub
for C7), or keep it the same (for example, substituting an Gb7 chord instead of a C7
chord, which occurs in Well You Needn’t and The Girl from Ipanema).
In practice tritone substitutions most often substitute a DOMINANT chord for

another DOMINANT chord a tritone away, but this doesn’t necessarily have to be
the case. In general it doesn’t matter what the qualities of the two chords are, and
the 3rd and 7ths don’t necessarily need to be inverse of each other, though they
3rds and 7ths WILL be inverse when both the original chord and the tritone sub are
dominant. I’ll cover the concept of inverse 3rds and 7ths more later in the article.
For now, just take note that inverse tritone 3rds and 7ths only occur
when both chords are dominant.
Let’s start by examining the most common place where tritone substitutions typically
appears.
The most common example of a tritone sub is to substitute the V7 chord in a major
key (it can occur in a minor key also).
A DOMINANT bII7 chord is the most common tritone substitution for the V7 chord,
although the tritone sub doesn’t necessarily have to be dominant. They are both
dominant chords in this stereotypical example of a tritone sub. (It’s somewhat
similar to the “Neapolitan chord” in classical music theory, but with the addition of a
7th to the chord, most commonly a dominant 7th (b7). The “Neapolitan chord” also
normally appears in first inversion, unlike the tritone sub). For an example of the
standard tritone sub, consider:
Standard Tritone Sub

Dmin7 G7alt Cmaj7
vs
Dmin7 Db7 Cmaj7
The first ii-V-I (the first two measures) is a regular ii-V7-I, whereas the second
progression (the last two measures) contains a tritone substitution in place of V7.
The 2nd chord in the 2nd example, the Db7, is the tritone substitution, a tritone
away from the G7 (V7), for which it is a substitute.
The numbers of each chord tone are written by each note to help make it clear what
is happening. Notice that the 3rd and the 7th actually switch places between the ii
and the V chords in the regular ii-V-I in the voice leading (3, 7, 3 and 7, 3, 7) example
because the root moves around in 4ths and 5ths. In the 2nd example, the root
movement moves chromatically, and so the voice leading doesn’t involve 3rds
resolving to 7ths or 7ths resolving to 3rds.
To further explain the concept of inverse 3rds and 7ths between the original V7
chord and the tritone sub bII7 chord, notice the 3rd and 7th of the Db7 (F and B,
thought it’s technically a Cb. I wrote it as a B instead of a Cb to make it easier to
read and to demonstrate the similarity) are just inverse of the 7th and 3rd of the G7
(F and B). 3 becomes 7 and 7 becomes 3. The concept of the inverse 3rds and 7ths
between the original dominant chord and the substituted dominant chord is often is
the first thing people learn about tritone substitution. Both chords must be
dominant in order for the 3rds and 7ths to be inverse of each other. Remember
that the most common tritone substitutions involve two dominant chords, BUT
neither the original chord nor the sub has to be dominant in order for a tritone sub
to be present.
The tritone substitution can change qualities from the chord it is substituting. The
Db7 in the example above can be changed to a Dbmaj7 or a Dbmin7, as in the
following examples:
The V7 is indisputably the most common chord for which you can substitute a
tritone sub. However, there are other chords that are regularly substituted. The vi
chord, ii chord, and iii chord are often replaced by tritone subs, and other chords can
be replaced by a tritone subs as well.
We have already considered the tritone substitution of the V7. Let’s consider the
following some different chord progression examples that use tritone substitutions
in other various harmonic locations.
Tritone sub of vimin7 or VI7

FMaj7 Ab7 Gmin7 C7
You can find these changes in A Foggy Day. The Ab7 can best be understood as the
tritone substitution for the VI7 chord (D7).
Tritone Sub of ii
Ab7 G7 Cmin7
This progression (bVI V7 i) occurs in Softly As In a Morning Sunrise in bar 8 and bar
32 (although it can really be substituted for ANY of the Dmin7(b5) ii chords in that
minor tune.
Also…
AbMaj7 G7 CMaj7
This progression is one of the 3 main ways to approach the minor ii-V that resolves
to a MAJOR I chord (Dmin7(b5) G7 CMaj7) in Night and Day. Clarification: you
won’t find this progression on our chart on LJS. Our chart has Dmin7(b5) G7 CMaj7
because this is the function of the minor ii-V resolving to the major I chord. There
are three common sets changes that occur in Night and Day:
Dmin7(b5) G7 CMaj7 (minor ii-V resolving to a Major I). In our view this set of
changes best represents the function of the chords.
AbMaj7 G7 CMaj7 (bVIMaj7 V7 IMaj7, with the bVIMaj7 as a sub for a half-
diminished ii).
And
Fm6 G7 CMaj7 (bvimin6 V7 CMaj7. The Fm6 has exactly the same notes as the
Dmin7(b5), just with a different root!
Night and Day is a unique tune because even the first chord of the piece has no
consensus! It is generally interpreted in those three ways by differently players. The
first chord can be a ii half-diminished chord, a ivmin6 chord, or a bVIMaj7 chord. It’s
a good idea to clarify which changes you want to use on that tune with the rest of
musicians on the bandstand!
Tritone Sub of iii

Bb7 Ab7 G7
This progression occurs in the tune Doxy, and something similar occurs can occur
in There Is No Greater Love in the third bar as a tritone sub for the Dmin7 (depending
on which chart or recording you consult). The bVII chord, Ab7, can be understood as
the tritone sub of the iii chord, Dm7 or D7.
Also…
CMaj7 Bb7 A7
This progression is from bars 3 and 4 of Yardbird Suite. The Bb7 in bar 3 is a sub for
the iii chord, Em7. Incidentally, there is an Fmin7 Bb7 progression in bar 2 of that
tune, right before the CMaj7 Bb7 A7. However, the Fmin7 Bb7 progression in bar 2
is best understood as a backdoor ii-V progression, not a tritone sub of iii.
Tritone Substitution Using Multiple Tritone Subs

CMaj7 EbMaj7 AbMaj7 DbMaj7 or CMaj7 Eb7 Ab7 Db7
These chord changes can be seen in the last two bars of the Tadd Dameron
composition Lady Bird. This set of changes uses a tritone sub for every chord of the I
vi ii V progression except for the I chord. The bIII is a sub fo the vi chord, the bVI is a
sub for the ii, and the bII is a sub for the V7 chord. This set of changes is known as
the “Tadd Dameron turnaround.”
Hopefully this helps shed some light upon the concept of tritone substitution. Stay
tuned tomorrow for the 2nd article in our tritone substitution series.
Using Scales to Approach Tritone

Substitution
Keep in mind that no scale is a cure-all for your jazz vocabulary ailments. Scales are
like words. You can’t learn a language by learning a few words; you must learn
sentence structure, grammar, syntax, etc. Scales help you know which note choices
sound consonant with a given chord change, but they can be used incorrectly, just as
words can be used incorrectly. A healthy dose of listening and transcribing can help
you to sound authentic when you solo. Jazz language doesn’t come from a scale, but
scales are still important.
For this reason, there has been a movement among some jazz musicians to speak
more about “pitch collections” than scales. Whatever floats their boat. I think that
“pitch collection” makes it easy to conjure up a mental picture of someone soloing
using a group of notes rather than running scales, so maybe the term is helpful.
However, many people will have no idea what you are talking about if you say “pitch
collection,” and so I prefer to use the term “scale” instead.
Look the PDF on the Scales Approach to Tritone Substitution detailing several
different harmonic instances in which you can use tritone substitution along with a
corresponding scales for each chord change:
Notice that:
 The Lydian Dominant scale (1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, b7, 8)

can be used for dominant tritone substitutions
(e.g. Eb7 and Eb Lydian Dominant).
 The Lydian scale (1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, 7, 8) can be

used for major 7 tritone substitutions (e.g.
Ebmaj7 and Eb Lydian).
The only major 7 tritone subs in the handout are shown in the Tadd Dameron
Turnaround Version #2, but that particular chord progression has 3 different major
7th tritone sub chords that can all use a Lydian scale based on the different roots, as
shown. I hope this handout helps!
5 Jazz Chord Substitutions You
Need to Know
One of the prominent characteristics of jazz music is its rich harmonic language. Not
only does jazz utilize the full spectrum of diatonic harmonic movement, it includes
modal harmony, and also a slew of substitutions.
It’s important for musicians studying jazz to know some of the common jazz chord
progressions that you will encounter in jazz standards. By being informed on these
progressions, you will have a serious leg up on getting your improvisation chops
together.
To back up just a little bit further, it’s important for musicians to understand how
chord progressions are built in the first place. These are fundamentals of being
informed on how jazz harmony works, which is essential for becoming a great jazz
improviser.
But once you have some of these basics down, it will be incredibly helpful for you to
have an understanding of how jazz musicians substitute chords for one another.
Why? Because jazz musicians do it all of the time.
Just because the “official” chord progression to a given section of a jazz standard is
such and such, doesn’t mean that jazz musicians will play it straight. Often they will
utilize different tools to substitute chord changes and create more or different kinds
of harmonic movement.
So today’s lesson is all about common jazz chord substitutions. While there are
many possible substitutions in the context of chord progressions, we will go over five
important ones you need to know.
It’s important to note that the five chord substitutions are taken in the context of a
chord progression and not individual chords themselves.
Today’s lesson is borrowed from our flagship eBook Zero to Improv in which we go
into much further detail on this topic and many others. Let’s dive in!
1. iii Replaces the I

In jazz, you will often see the iii chord replacing the I chord. For example, in the key
of C, a Cmaj7 is replaced by and Emin7.
The common chord progression you will see this happen in is the I-vi-ii-V. This would
be Cmaj7-Amin7-Dmin7-G7. But when the iii replaces the I, it becomes Emin7-
Amin7-Dmin7-G7.
It’s important to note that in this example the vi chord has been made into a
dominant 7 chord (VI). This is a common practice in jazz and creates more voice
leading. There you go, a little bonus! This brings us into the next one…
2. #i Diminished Replaces the VI
If you turn the VI chord into a dominant 7 chord rather than its diatonically correct
minor 7 form, you open up some possibilities. One of those is replacing VI with a
diminished 7 chord.
Now, I don’t want to go too much into the theory behind this. Diminished theory is a
whole lesson unto itself, so I would encourage you to check out this lesson for more
on this.
Here’s the context: a I-VI-ii-V, which in the key of C is Cmaj7-A7-Dmin7-G7. When

we replace a #i diminished for the VI it becomes Cmaj7-C#dim7-Dmin7 G7.
Think of it this way: a dominant 7 can be altered (b9,#9, b13, #11). If we were to
make the VI chord into a dominant7(b9) chord it would share all of the important
notes except the bass note of the chord, with the C#dim7.
3. Tritone Substitution
We’ve written a lot about tritone substitution on Learn Jazz Standards and we won’t
go over all of them in this lesson. Let’s instead focus on the most typical example.
First off, for those who are new to this concept, what is tritone substitution?
A tritone substitution occurs whenever a chord is being substituted or replaced by

another chord with a root a tritone interval away. Example: G7 is replaced by Db7.
A tritone is an interval of three whole tones between two notes. You can also think
of it as a b5 or a #4 away from any given note.
One of the most common tritone subs is Tritone Sub of V.
In the context of a ii-V-I chord progression (Dmin7-G7-Cmaj7), you would replace

the G7 with the dominant 7 chord a tritone away: Db7.
4. I-IV-iii-VI Turnaround to a ii-V-I

Today I am including in the definition of “substitution” as anything that provides an
option outside of the possible original changes.
A turnaround is anything that brings you back to the I chord. Our first example, iii-VI-
ii-V, is a turnaround heading back to the I chord. A I-VI-ii-V is a turnaround because it
is cycling back to the I chord. But there are other ways to get there.
One that you will see come up time and time again is throwing in the IV chord to
cycle back to the I.
5. Chromatic ii-V’s
This is a very common substitution/add-on, so pay attention. Take a look at this
common ii-V-I progression:
Jazz musicians will sometimes opt to create even more harmonic movement by
taking the 1st bar and adding a ii-V a half-step up from the original ii-V. They will
then push over the original ii chord into the second bar, giving each chord two beats
each.
Now there are even more changes to improvise over and connect to each other.
Pretty cool right?
Give some of these chord substitutions a try. Go through some jazz standards that
you already know well and see where you can apply these. This is great practice. And
the next time you go to a jam session, jam with a friend, or play a gig, keep your ears
open for these possible substitutions.
The 16 Most Important Scales in

Jazz
Here is a list of the 16 most important scales for jazz improvisation and the
harmonic contexts in which they can be used for improvisation. While we do not
want to sound like we are playing scales when we improvise, it is nevertheless very
important to know what notes will be consonant with each chord, which is why
chord/scale theory is so important. You still have to study the language and
vocabulary of jazz in order to know how to appropriately apply these scales in your
improvisation!
It is really a lifetime of study trying to continually absorb this information into your
playing in musically satisfying ways, and yet these concepts can be learned rather
quickly. You can easily digest this information intellectually, but then spend the next
ten or more years learning how to apply these concepts!
Note: We have included a chord example for each scale. As much as possible,
we tried to keep everything related to C major to show where these scales can be
used in relation to the Cmajor/Aminor key center. This is an imperfect system but
hopefully it will be instructive.
I have also linked some of these concept to a corresponding Chord Workout play
along to help you in your quest to apply these scales to your improvising! Happy
practicing!
#1-7 The Medieval Church Modes

1. Ionian (Major scale) 12345678 – Cmaj7
Th major scale is consonant over major chords. For example, a C major scale
corresponds with a C major chord.
2. Dorian Minor scale 12b3456b78 – Dmin7

The dorian minor scale as a b3, natural 6, and b7. It is the most commonly
used minor scale for improvisation in jazz music. It works over any ii chord, but it
can also be used for other minor chords, such as the iii chord and the vi chord.
3. Phrygian Minor scale 1b2b345b6b78 – Emin7 or G7(b9)sus
Of the five types of minor scales (Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian/Natural Minor, Harmonic
Minor, and Melodic Minor), the Phrygian mode is arguably one of the two least
common minor scales for jazz improvisation, along with harmonic minor. Even
though dorian, melodic minor, and even aeolian are probably more common, the
Phrygian mode is still useful in at least two contexts:
 The Phrygian scale works over a iii chord (Emin7 in the key of C works with E Phyrgian)
 Phrygian minor can also be used over a V7 chord if the V7 chord is suspended and has a
b9. For instance, in a G7(b9)sus to Cmin7 progression, a G Phrygian (same key center as
Eb major, 3 flats) works well. This context is discussed in much further detail in the Jazz
Piano Book and The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine.
4. Lydian Major 123#45678 – Fmaj7 or Cmaj7(#4)
The Lydian Mode works well over any maj7#4, maj7b5, or maj7#11 chord. The most
obvious example is as IV chord (e.g. F major in the key of C), but the lydian mode can
also work well over a I chord. The Lydian scale is the brightest of all the church
modes, and has a distinct, modern flavor over a I chord due to the non-diatonic (in
the context of a I chord) #4 chord tone.
5. Mixolydian (Dominant) 123456b78 – G7
The Mixolydian mode is the most basic scale for improvising over a V7 chord. You
can also use the altered scale, the half-whole diminished scale, whole-tone, or even
Phrygian over a V7 chord, but each different scale implies different alterations, and
different scales will work better in different musical contexts. Often there is more
than one acceptable choice for improvising over a V7 chord.
6. Aeoian (Natural Minor) 12b345b6b78 – Amin7 (Dorian is more common)
It seems that natural minor should be the preferred choice for minor chords, but
most players default to using Dorian over a minor chord due to the relative
consonance of the natural 6 from the Dorian scale versus the relative dissonance of
the b6 from the Natural Minor scale. You can choose to use Dorian over a vi chord,
although Natural Minor is usually an acceptable choice also for a vi chord or a minor i
chord.
7. Locrian (Half-Diminished) 1b2b34b5b6b78 – Bmin7(b5)
The exotic locrian scale is the darkest, most dissonant mode of the major scale. It
works well over a half-diminished chord (also known as a min7(b5) chord).
When approaching a half-diminished chord, some players like to sharpen the b2

from the Locrian mode to a natural 2. If you raise the b2 to a natural 2, this new
scale is called the “Locrian #2” (that’s “sharp” 2, not “number” 2) mode, which is
actually the 6th mode of melodic minor harmony. This scale is 12b34b5b6b78, and
the natural 2 differs from the Locrian mode. If you keep the b2 of the Locrian scale,
this is the 7th mode of the major scale.
It’s useful to place Locrian and Locrian #2 into the same category of scale, as they
can both be used to navigate a half-category:
7.5 Locrian #2 – 12b34b5b6b78 – Bmin7(b5)

Scales #8 and #9 are two variations upon the
diminished scale.
8. Half-Whole Diminished (Dominant-Diminished) 1b2b33#456b78 – G13(b9)
Because diminished scales are symmetrical, there are only three diminished scales,
and each can be started in eight different places! ALL diminished scales are made
up of alternating half-steps and whole-steps, but you can start with either a half-
step or a whole-step. For more information on diminished scales, you can visit my
other article on the Secrets of the Diminished Scale, or learn some diminished licks.
The half-whole diminished scale can be referred to as dominant diminished because

it works well over a dominant 13(b9) chord. The half-whole diminished is made up
of the intervals HWHWHWHW (H=half-step, W=whole-step)
9. Half-Whole Diminished (Diminished-diminished) 12b34#4#5678 – C#dim7
If you start a diminished scale with a whole-step, it become WHWHWHWH.

This mode of the diminished scale works well over a diminished chord.
10. Altered Scale 1b2b33#4b6b78 – G7(#9b13) or G7alt, A7(#9b13) or A7alt
The altered scale is actually the 7th mode of melodic minor. It works great over
an altered chord (7#9b13, or 7alt, which implies 7(b9#9#11b13) (that’s way too
long, which is why we shorten it to 7alt). This scale has many names, including
“Super-Locrian,” “Diminished-Whole-Tone” or even the “Dim-Wit” scale! I prefer the
term “Altered” for 3 reasons: it’s shorter, less intimidating for inexperienced players,
and most importantly it reminds us that we need ALL of the 4 possibly alterations to
a dominant chord: b9, #9, #11, and b13. You can thus spell the scale:
1,b9,#9,3,#11,b13,8
Vibraphonist Gary Burton likes to remind us that the altered scale has a hidden tone,
the natural 5th, that is also consonant with this scale. Though the natural 5th isn’t in
technically in the 7th mode of melodic minor, remember that the natural 5th works
also when improvising with an altered scale over an altered dominant chord!
11. Whole-Tone Scale 123#4b6b78 – G7b13
The whole-tone scale only has 6 notes (the 7th note would be the doubled root in
the top octave). It is entirely made up of whole-steps: WWWWWW.
This scale implies a natural 9, a #11, a b13, and of course a b7. It works well over a
7b13 chord as long as there is a NATURAL 9 and not a b9 or #9.
12. Blues Scale 1,b3,4,#4/b5,5,b7,8 and Minor Penatonic (minus #4/b5) – C7
The blues scale is one of the first scales that many jazz musicians are taught. While I
have some reservations about this scale, and I have made up the “Mixo-Dorian Blues
Scale” as a viable alternative, it is nevertheless an important, ubiquitous scale for
soloing over the blues.
13. Lydian Dominant 123#456b78 – D7#11 or F7#11
Lydian implies a #4. Dominant implies a b7. If you put them together, you have the
fourth mode of the melodic minor scale! This scale works well over a dominant II7
or a dominant IV7 chord, a bII7 tritone sub, or any 13(#11) chord. It works great
over the second chord in Take the A-Train, although many players choose to use
whole-tone ideas instead of lydian-dominant.
#14-16 Are Bebop Scales with a Chromatic Passing

Tones
If you add an extra chromatic passing tone to a major, dorian, or mixolydian scale,
you get a bebop scale! While bebop musicians technically put the chromatic notes
in other places and it sounded just fine in recordings, jazz theorists have codified the
bebop scales into something more concrete, placing the chromatic passing tone
between 6 and 5 (major bebop scales) and 8 and b7 (dominant and minor bebop
scales). The bebop scales are primarily descending scales, and so I’ve listed the
numbers backwards to reflect the descending nature of these scales.
14. Major Bebop 876b654321 – Cmaj7
You can use the major bebop scale with any major chord. The chromatic passing
tone is placed between 6 and 5. With any of these bebop scales, the idea is to use
the chromatic note as a chromatic passing tone, and not to stop on the chromatic
note for too long.
15. Minor Bebop 87b7654b321 – Amin7, Dmin7, or Emin7
The minor bebop scale has a chromatic between 8 and b7. It works well over a
minor chord. Remember to use the chromaticism in the scale when improvising, and
to use the natural 7th as a passing tone.
16. Mixolydian Bebop 87b7654321 – G7
The mixolydian bebop scale is the quintessential bebop scale. It has a chromatic
passing tone between 8 and b7, and it works the best over an unaltered dominant
chord.
I hope that these scales will help you in your quest to become a better improviser!
Don’t forget to follow the links and use the chord progression workout play alongs!
They are very helpful.
The “Secret” Scale to Unlock 2-5-1
Chord Progressions
Most of the time, II-V-I’s are taught as a set of discrete modes or as a collection of
related modes derived from a single parent scale. We’re told the II-7 chord
corresponds to a Dorian minor scale, the V7 a Mixolydian dominant scale, and the
I(maj7) either a Lydian or Ionian scale. Or, on the other hand, we often hear that you
can treat the whole II-V-I as essentially one scale all based off of the Ionian (major)
mode played from the root of the I chord.
Although these are sometimes useful approaches and can offer a very basic
framework to help novice jazzers get started with improvisation, I think there are
even better ways to conceptualize II-V-I’s regarding specific scale choices. I’ve
already briefly delved into bebop scales here on the LJS site before, and in this post,
I want to talk about another lesser known or “secret” scale: the harmonic major
scale.
In my experience, relatively few jazzers talk about or teach this scale, but it is
possibly the single best scale to use if you want a simple and concise tool to help you
start generating bebop vocabulary over II-V-I’s. And it works for both
major and minor II-V’s (details on that below)!
Firstly, what is the harmonic major scale?
It’s essentially like a harmonic minor scale, except it has a natural (not a flatted)
3rd scale degree, as you would assume for any scale labeled “major.” In other words,
it’s a major scale with a flatted 6th degree. C harmonic major is spelled: C-D-E-F-G-
Ab-B-C.
Here it is notated:
To understand the derivation of the harmonic major, we have to briefly explain

where harmonic minor scales come from.
The “harmonic” label comes from the fact that, in the language of Western “classical”
music theory, the harmonic minor scale has all of the elements necessary for
generating tonality, i.e. tonal chords and harmonic progressions. For tonality to be
functional melodically and harmonically, you have to have a leading tone
For tonality to be functional melodically and harmonically, you have to have a

leading tone as the 7th scale degree (the 7th note of the scale has to be a major
7th above the root, or a half-step below the tonic – however, you want to visualize it).
This is because, in the briefest and simplest terms possible, tonality is essentially
defined by the V7-I cadential relationship, which lives and dies on the resolution of
the “tension” inherent in the tritone.
The tritone exists between the 3rd and 7th of the V7 chord (think B and F for G7 in the
key of C major). The 7th of the V7 chord (the 4th degree of the tonic I chord) resolves
down ½ step to the 3rd of the tonic I chord and the 3rd of the V7 chord (the 7th of the
tonic I chord) resolves up ½ step to the tonic (root).
These relationships – the V-I movement in the bass and the resolution of the “tense”
tritone which is embedded in the V7 chord – is the defining theoretical feature that
makes tonality work in “classical” theory.
Here’s what I mean in notation:
So what this means is that, to generate common practice functional tonal harmony,
you can’t rely only the Dorian, Phrygian, or Aeolian (also called “natural” or “pure”
minor) modes, which are all minor modes with flatted 7ths (because they don’t have
that all-important leading tone).
The other primary option for a minor scale – the “melodic” minor – has the requisite
leading tone, but it has a natural 6th which means the IV chord would be major, and
this doesn’t work with strict “classical” harmony norms – in the minor mode, the “i”
and “iv” chords should both be minor.
So to compromise and account for all of these factors, “classical” music theorists
sometimes use the harmonic minor scale when explaining the derivation and
construction of minor-key tonal harmony. The harmonic scale has a flatted 3rd and
6threlative to the major mode – so you get the minor 3rd (necessary for any minor
scale), the flatted 6th (necessary for the minor “iv” chord), and the leading tone
(necessary for the V7-I resolution).
The harmonic major is essentially a theoretical offshoot of the harmonic minor – it’s
just the harmonic minor moved into “major land.”
The harmonic major is perfect for generating hip II-V-I lines because it has the b9 of
the V7 chord embedded in it and it allows you to simplify the entire II-V-I into one
single reductive scale. In addition to simplifying the way you think about
In addition to simplifying the way you think about a II-V-I, the harmonic major
automatically liberates you from that often droll “church mode” sound and gets you
playing a hip, “exotic” sounding scale.
Ok, so how do you use the harmonic major scale?
It’s unbelievably simple – for a major II-V, you simply play the harmonic major scale
built off of the root of the tonic or root of the I chord – so for a II-V-I in C major, play
a C harmonic major scale.
For a minor II-V-I, you use the harmonic major scale built off of the relative major key
(C major is A minor’s relative major, so use C harmonic major for the key of A minor).
Or, another way to think about it is to build the harmonic major scale off of the
minor 3rd of the tonic/root of the minor II-V-I (A minor’s 3rd scale degree is C, so again
use C harmonic major for a minor II-V-I in the key of A minor). In the minor mode, the
relative harmonic major scale gets you the natural 3rd, #9, and b9 on the V7 chord,
which works great for a V7 with any alterations.
Here are a couple of examples of II-V-I lines in major and minor using the harmonic
major scale (note how in many cases, you can play the exact same line for both the
major II-V-I and its relative minor II-V-I – and it works great!):
I hope you find this helpful and inspiring, and I hope you feel empowered to go out
and practice and explore the harmonic major scale!
HARMONIC MINOR
Alternative names: Aeolian major 7, Melodic Minor flat 6, Mohammedan
It starts from the first grade of harmonic minor scale
NATURAL MINOR C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
HARMONIC MINOR C D Eb F G Ab B C
Structure: 2122131
chords over first notes:
Triad: Seventh chord: Complete chord:
minor minor with major seventh
Chord simbols: Cm, Cm(maj7), Cm^, Cm9(maj7), Cm^9, Cm(b6), Cm^(b13)
Enharmonic chord simbols: Cm(#5), Cm^(#5)
LOCRIAN #6
Alternative names: Locrian sharp 6
It starts from the second grade of harmonic minor scale
Structure: 1221312
diminished half diminished
Chord simbols: Cm7(b5), Cm7(b5 b9), CØ, CØ(b9)

IONIAN AUGMENTED
Alternative names: Ionian sharp 5
It starts from the third grade of harmonic minor scale
Structure: 2213121
augmented major seventh with augmented fifth
Chord simbols: C+, C+(maj7), C^+, C9+(maj7), C^(#5), Cmaj7(#5)
ROMANIAN
Alternative names: Dorian sharp 4, Dorian #11, Misheberakh
It starts from the fourth grade of harmonic minor scale
Structure: 2131212
minor minor seventh
Chord simbols: Cm, Cm7, Cm9, Cm7(#11), Cm9(#11), Cm13(#11)

Enharmonic chord simbols: Cm7(b5), CØ
PHRYGIAN DOMINANT
Alternative names: Mixolydian flat 9 flat 13, Phrygian Major, Balkan, Spanish Gipsy,
Ahava Rabah, Mixolydian b2 b6
It starts from the fifth grade of harmonic minor scale
PHRYGIAN C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C
PHRYGIAN DOMINANT C Db E F G Ab Bb C
Structure: 1312122
major dominant
Chord simbols: C, C7, C7(b9), C7(b9 b13)
Enharmonic chord simbols: C7(#5), C7(#5 b9)
LYDIAN #2
Alternative names: Lydian sharp 2
It starts from the sixth grade of harmonic minor scale
Structure: 3121221
major major seventh
Chord simbols: C, Cmaj7, C^, Cmaj7(#9 #11)
Enharmonic chord simbols: Cm^, Cm^(b5), C^(b5)
ULTRALOCRIAN
Alternative names: Diminished , Superlocrian bb7
It starts from the seventh grade of harmonic minor scale
Structure: 1212213
Triad: Seventh chord:
diminished diminished
Chord simbols: Cdim, C°, C°7
JAZZ MINOR
Alternative names: Melodic Minor Ascending, Minor Major, Modern Minor, Ionian flat
3, Dorian maj7, Ipoionian, Dorian major 7
It starts from the first grade of melodic minor scale

The name Minor Major is because this mode starts like a minor mode an ends like a major
one.
NATURAL MINOR C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
MELODIC MINOR C D Eb F G A B C
Structure: 2122221
Chord simbols: Cm, Cm(maj7), Cm6, Cm^, Cm9(maj7), Cm^9, Cm6/9
DORIAN b9
Alternative names: Dorian flat 9, Phrygian sharp 6, Javanese
It starts from the second grade of melodic minor scale
Structure: 1222212
minor minor seventh

Chord simbols: Cm, Cm7, Cm7(b9), Cm11(b9), Cm13(b9)
Enharmonic chord simbols: Csus(b9)
LYDIAN AUGMENTED
It starts from the third grade of melodic minor scale
Structure: 2222121
Chord simbols: C+, C+(maj7), C^+, C9+(maj7), C^(#5), Cmaj7(#5), C^(#5 #11)
LYDIAN DOMINANT
Alternative names: Overtone, Lydian flat 7, Mixolydian sharp 11, Mixolydian #4
It starts from the fourth grade of melodic minor scale
Structure: 2221212
major dominant
Chord simbols: C, C7, C9, C7(#11), C9(#11), C13(#11)
Enharmonic chord simbols: C7(b5)
MIXOLYDIAN b13
Alternative names: Mixolydian flat 6, Hindu, Aeolian sharp 3, Aeolian Dominant,

Hindustan
It starts from the fifth grade of melodic minor scale
Structure: 2212122
As we can see from the structure, this is a palindromic mode
major dominant
Chord simbols: C, C7, C9, C7(b13), C9(b13), Csus, C7sus, C9sus
Enharmonic chord simbols: C7(#5)
SEMILOCRIAN
Alternative names: Locrian natural 2, Half Diminished, Aeolian flat 5, Locrian #2

It starts from the sixth grade of melodic minor scale
Structure: 2121222
Chord simbols: Cm7(b5), CØ, Cm9(b5), CØ9
SUPERLOCRIAN
Alternative names: Altered, Ravel, Diminished Whole-tone, Locrian flat 4
It starts from the seventh grade of melodic minor scale
The name Diminished Whole-tone is because this mode starts like a diminished mode an
ends like a whole-tone one.
Structure: 1212222
Enharmonic interpretation:
augmented dominant with augmented fifth
Enharmonic chord simbols: C7alt, C7(b5), C7(#5), C+7, C7(b5 b9), C7(#5 #9), C7(b9 #9
#11 b13),
Exotic Scales
A scale is merely a series of tones that lie between octaves. That's not too much different than the definition
of a chord. The main difference, however, is that a scale represents the foundation of a piece of music. A
chord is essentially the harmonization of a scale.
The term exotic as it applies to musical scales is a very relative term. Usually, when people refer to a scale
as being exotic they mean it is not commonly used. This may or may not be the case. It is difficult
categorize scales because there are so many varieties according to number of tones, interval, and
geographic origins.
While grouping scales according to their ethnic roots is useful to an anthropologist, it is not much help to a
musician. A musician is interested in how a scale sounds and how it might be used in a piece of music.
Each scale has a unique sound but, like chords, they share certain family traits. The most useful way I have
found to categorize scales is similar to how chords are categorize, that is, major, minor, dominant, etc.
When grouped this way it is easier to translate their harmonic function.
The improvisor can use these scales to play over chords. For instance, if you saw a Cmaj7 chord on your
lead sheet, you could play a major sounding exotic scale like the Hungarian Folk scale. This amounts to a
key change without changing the tonal center and depending on the harmonic context can add unique tonal
variety to your playing.
There are many different scale choices for each chord. The principle here is the same as with the Diatonic
scale. Scales that have the same notes as the chord can be played over the given chord.
The scales listed here are grouped according to the chord function that they match. Each scale is matched
with a chord as indicated to the right. The pairing of chord and scale is only one of several that can be
made. Use this as a beginning point then explore pairings of your own.
These scales above have a major scale sound to them because they all have seven tones and a major third and a major
seventh interval, same as the Diatonic scale.
These seven-tone dominant scales above are similar to the Mixolydian mode which has a major third and flatted seventh
interval. The Mixolydian mode is the common scale to play over dominant chords. These modes all share a dissonances that
allows them to be played with great effect over dominant 7th chords. These scales can also be played over many altered
dominants.
These scales above have a minor scale sound to them because they have seven tones and a minor third interval along with
a perfect fifth. All of these chords can be play over minor chords, however, some have a flatted seventh interval which makes
them good to play over minor 7th chords. The other scales have a major seventh interval which means these scales could be
played over minor(maj7) chords. Because the min(maj7) chord has a dissonant sound playing an exotic chord on top of them
can be done very effectively.
Five-tone scales like the ones above have an open, airy sound to them. This is because of the large intervals between the
notes. Often these scales will lack either a third or seventh interval or both. Tonally they are very flexible. In some cases you
can play them over suspended chords. In other cases you can play them over major or minor chords. Many five-tone scales
sound Japanese-like and are often called that indiscriminately. I've attemped to make a distinction here and apply the more
specific name to them.
Six-tone scales can function like seven tone scales. Try the scales over the chords indicated here.
Eight-tone scales have a lot of notes in them. The bebop scales were developed by jazz musicians so the chord tones could
be played on each beat of the measure while other non-chords tones, used as passing notes, could be played on the off-
beat. With eight tones to the scale, and eight beats to the measure, each beat has a tone to go with it. Different bebop scales
were developed to play over chords with different harmonic functions. The Spanish Eight Tone scale was developed by
Sephardic Jews in Spain in the Middle Ages. It's a great scale for Klezmer music.
HARMONIC MAJOR
Alternative names: Ionian flat 6
It starts from the first grade of harmonic major scale
HARMONIC MAJOR C D E F G Ab B C
Structure: 2212131
major major seventh
Chord simbols: C, C(maj7), C^, C9(maj7), C^9, C^(b6), C^(b13)
Enharmonic chord simbols: C^(#5), Cmaj7(#5), C^9(#5)
DORIAN b5
Alternative names: Locrian sharp 2 sharp 6, Dorian flat 5
It starts from the second grade of harmonic major scale
Structure: 2121312
Chord simbols: Cm7(b5), Cm9(b5), CØ, CØ9
PHRYGIAN b4
Alternative names: Phrygian flat 4, Superlocrian natural 5, Superphrygian

It starts from the third grade of harmonic major scale
Structure: 1213122
minor minor seventh
major dominant
Enharmonic chord simbols: C7, C7(#5), C7(b9 #9 b13)
LYDIAN b3
Alternative names: Lydian flat 3, Jazz Minor sharp 4, Jazz Minor #11, Lydian
Diminished
It starts from the fourth grade of harmonic major scale
Structure: 2131221

Chord simbols: Cm, Cm(maj7), Cm^9, Cm^(#11)
Enharmonic chord simbols: Cm^(b5)
MIXOLYDIAN b9
Alternative names: Mixolydian flat 2
It starts from the fifth grade of harmonic major scale
Structure: 1312212
major dominant
Chord simbols: C, C7, C7(b9), C13(b9)
LYDIAN AUGMENTED #2
Alternative names: Lydian sharp 2 sharp 5
It starts from the sixth grade of harmonic major scale

Structure: 3122121
Chord simbols: C+, Cmaj7(#5), C^(#5), Cmaj7(#5 #9 #11)
Enharmonic chord simbols: C^(b5), Cm^(b5)
LOCRIAN bb7
Alternative names: Locrian diminished 7
It starts from the seventh grade of harmonic major scale
Structure: 1221213
diminished diminished
Chord simbols: Cdim, C°, C°7
NEAPOLITAN MINOR
Alternative names: Neapolitan Major flat 6, Harmonic Minor flat 2, Phrygian maj7
It starts from the first grade of neapolitan scale
NEAPOLITAN C Db Eb F G A B C
NEAPOLITAN MINOR C Db Eb F G Ab B C
Structure: 1222131
Chord simbols: Cm, Cm(maj7), Cm^(b9 b13)
Enharmonic chord simbols: Cm^(#5)
LYDIAN #6
It starts from the second grade of neapolitan scale
Structure: 2221311
major major seventh
Chord simbols: C^, Cmaj7, Cmaj7(#11)

Enharmonic chord simbols: C^(b5), C7, C7(b5)
MIXOLYDIAN AUGMENTED
Alternative names: Mixolydian sharp 5
It starts from the third grade of neapolitan scale
Structure: 2213112
Chord simbols: C7(#5), C+7, C7(#5)
HUNGARIAN GIPSY
Alternative names: Aeolian sharp 4
It starts from the fourth grade of neapolitan scale
Structure: 2131122
minor minor seventh

Chord simbols: Cm, Cm7, Cm7(#11 b13)
Enharmonic chord simbols: Cm7(b5), Cm7(#5)
LOCRIAN DOMINANT
Alternative names: Locrian sharp 3, Oriental flat 6, Mixolydian flat 5 flat 9 flat 13,
Mixolydian b2 b5 b6
It starts from the fifth grade of neapolitan scale
Structure: 1311222
Seventh chord: Complete chord:
dominant with diminished fifth
Chord simbols: C7(b5), C7(b5 b9), C7(b5 b9 b13)
IONIAN #2
Alternative names: Ionian sharp 2
It starts from the sixth grade of neapolitan scale

Structure: 3112221
major major seventh
Chord simbols: Cmaj7, C^, C^(#9)
Enharmonic chord symbols: Cm^
ULTRALOCRIAN bb3
It starts from the seventh grade of neapolitan scale
Structure: 1122213
NEAPOLITAN
Alternative names: Neapolitan Major, Jazz Minor flat 2
It starts from the first grade of neapolitan scale
Structure: 1222221

Chord simbols: Cm, Cm(maj7), Cm^(b9)
LEADING WHOLE-TONE
Alternative names: Lydian Augmented sharp 6, Lydian sharp 5 sharp 6
It starts from the second grade of neapolitan scale
Structure: 2222211
Chord simbols: C^+, Cmaj7(#5), Cmaj7(#5 #11)
LYDIAN AUGMENTED
DOMINANT
Alternative names: Lydian sharp 5 flat7, Mixolydian sharp 5 sharp 11, Mixolydian #4
#5
It starts from the third grade of neapolitan scale

Structure: 2222112
Chord simbols: C7(#5), C+7, C7(#5 #11)
Enharmonic chord simbols: C7(b5)
LYDIAN DOMINANT b6
Alternative names: Lydian flat 6 flat 7, Mixolydian sharp 11 flat 13, Mixolydian #4 b6,
Lydian Minor
It starts from the fourth grade of neapolitan scale
Structure: 2221122
major dominant
Chord simbols: C7, C7(#11 b13)
Enharmonic chord simbols: C7(b5), C7(#5)

MAJOR LOCRIAN
Alternative names: Mixolydian flat 5 flat 6, Mixolydian b5 b13, Locrian sharp 2 sharp
3, Arabian
It starts from the fifth grade of neapolitan scale
Structure: 2211222
dominant with diminished fifth
Chord simbols: C7(b5), C9(b5), C7(b5 b13), C9(b5 b13)
SEMILOCRIAN b4
Alternative names: Locrian natural 2 flat 4, Semilocrian flat 4
It starts from the sixth grade of neapolitan scale
Structure: 2112222

Enharmonic chord simbols: C7(#5 #11), C7(#5 9 #9 #11), C7(b5)
SUPERLOCRIAN bb3
It starts from the seventh grade of neapolitan scale
Structure: 1122222

Enharmonic chord simbols: C7(#5 #11), C7(b5), C7(#5 b9 9 #11)
COMPARATIVE TABLE
between Neapolitan scale and Whole-Tone scale
WHOLE-TONE (Db) Db Eb F G A B
NEAPOLITAN C Db Eb F G A B C
between Whole-Tone scale and the rest of modes from Neapolitan scale
WHOLE-TONE (C) C D E F# G# A# C
LEADING C D E F# G# A# B C
WHOLE-TONE
LYDIAN AUGMENTED
C D E F# G# A Bb C
DOMINANT
LYDIAN DOMINANT b6 C D E F# G Ab Bb C
MAJOR LOCRIAN C D E F Gb Ab Bb C
SEMILOCRIAN b4 C D D# E Gb Ab Bb C
SUPERLOCRIAN bb3 C Db D E Gb Ab Bb C
DOUBLE HARMONIC MAJOR
Alternative names: Ionian flat 2 flat 6, Double Harmonic, Bizantine, Major Gipsy,
Charhargah
It starts from the first grade of double harmonic scale
MAJOR C D E F G A B C
HARMONIC MAJOR C D E F G Ab B C
DOUBLE HARMONIC C Db E F G Ab B C
Structure: 1312131
major major seventh
Chord simbols: C, Cmaj7, C^, C^(b6 b9)
Enharmonic chord simbols: C^(#5), Cmaj7(#5)
This mode works well even on dominant chords
LYDIAN #2 #6
Alternative names: Lydian sharp 2 sharp 6
It starts from the second grade of double harmonic scale
Structure: 3121311
major major seventh

Chord simbols: Cmaj7, C^, C^(#11), C^(#6 #9 #11)
Enharmonic chord simbols: C7, Cm7, CØ, C7(b5), C^(b5)
ULTRAPHRYGIAN
Alternative names: Phrygian b4 bb7, Ultralocrian natural 5
It starts from the third grade of double harmonic scale
Structure: 1213113
Triad:
minor
Triad:
major
HUNGARIAN MINOR
Alternative names: Harmonic Minor sharp 4, Lydian flat 3 flat 6, Double Harmonic
Minor, Algerian, Minor Gipsy
It starts from the fourth grade of double harmonic scale
DOUBLE HARMONIC
C D Eb F# G Ab B C
MINOR
Structure: 2131131
Chord simbols: Cm, Cm(maj7), Cm^9, Cm^(#11)
Enharmonic chord simbols: Cm^(b5), Cm^(#5)
ORIENTAL
Alternative names: Mixolydian flat 5 flat 9, Mixolydian b2 b5
It starts from the fifth grade of double harmonic scale
Structure: 1311312

dominant
Chord simbols: C7, C7(b5), C7(b5 b9)
IONIAN AUGMENTED #2
Alternative names: Ionian sharp 2 sharp 5
It starts from the sixth grade of double harmonic scale
Structure: 3113121
Chord simbols: C+, Cmaj7(#5), C^(#5), Cmaj7(#5 #9)
Enharmonic chord simbols: Cm^(#5)
LOCRIAN bb3 bb7
It starts from the seventh grade of double harmonic scale
Structure: 1131213
Barry Harris's Sixth Diminished Scale

Here's a great excerpt from a Barry Harris workshop where he introduces an interesting diminished concept,
which he (jokingly) calls his "personal scale". It produces a very cool jazz sound by a quite unexpected means.
The scale is in fact just a major scale with an added b6 or #5, so it's spelled like this:
1 2 3 4 5 b6 6 7
C D E F G G# A B
More exotically, you could think of this as Harmonic Major with an added natural 6.
You may think this is perverse, since the other way is clearly simpler, but in fact
that b6 contributes a very strong Harmonic Major sound. You can find full guitar
fingerings for this scale on page 298 of the current version of Scale and Arpeggio
Resources -- if it's not there, search for the interval map "t, t, s, t, s, s, t, s" and
you'll find it.
However, he explains it in a quite different way, noticing that a cover of the scale is
given by the C6 and Bdim7 arpeggios
C E G A + B D F G#
This is what I call a "disjoint cover" because the two parts share no common notes.
Adding a note to the major scale is quite easy, of course, but it will tend to lead you
to play in a scalar, stepwise way; this way of thinking encourages you to see the
underlying chord as the C6 arpeggio and the tension notes as the Bdim7, which is
easy to find in relation to it.
You can, of course, use this on any Maj7 type of harmony as well as on chords
explicitly written with a 6. So one way to think of this is "On a Maj7 type of chord,
play the diminished arpeggio built on the 2, 4, #5 or 7.
Being a pianist, though, Barry shows us a bit more when he moves to thinking of it in
terms of chords. To start with, he points out that it contains the dominant 7 chord of
the relative minor as well as the major keys, which makes for strong chord
substitutions like E7-Am7 subbing for C6, and enables us to construct chord-scales
like these (notice the different chord qualities that become available):
C6 Dm7b5 Em7 FMaj7 G7 Abdim7 Am7 Bdim7 C6

C6 Dm7 Em7 FmMaj7 G7b9 Ab+ AmMaj7 Bm6 C6
He also very quickly moves on to another, related scale obtained by flattening the
third of the scale:
1 2 b3 4 5 b6 6 7
C D Eb F G G# A B
This time we can think of this as a Melodic Minor with an added #5 or b6, or as a
Harmonic Minor with an added natural 6. Again we have an alternative perspective
provided by a disjoint cover: the m6 arpeggio plus the same dim7 we used before. So
this rule suggests that we can use this dim7 superimposition idea over minor chords
as well as major! You can find full guitar fingerings for this scale on page 298 of the
current version of Scale and Arpeggio Resources -- if it's not there, search for the
interval map "t, s, t, t, s, s, t, s" and you'll find it.
There's a bit more in the video about using chords borrowed from these scales, but
the specific voicings are quite pianistic -- listen, play along and see if you can devise
your own chord sub ideas using these scales, as well as using them for melodic
interest in your solos.
he major bebop scale has been in common knowledge for decades. I have outlined the tonic/dominant
(IMa6 iiDim) polarity in an earlier blog (March, 2012). So check that out and you’ll see a few examples of
some ideas for expanding upon that idea. OK, then comes Barry Harris (a well known jazz piano/educator)
who instructs us with some mysterious sounding, but not necessarily rocket-science, ideas for the bebop
scale. The scale: in C major: C D E F G G# A B C.
For starters, most jazz players these days will study the scale-tone sevenths of at least four or five different
scale types, so most are familiar with playing scale-tone sevenths for example, in major scales in a step-
wise root motion as in C major:

CMa7 Dmi7 Emi7 FMa7 G7 Ami7 Bmi7(b5) CMa7 and learning the modes that are often associated with
those chords.
chanced upon a youtube video of Barry Harris working with (astonished) students and he did a similar
thing except he played them over the bebop major scale. While paying strict attention to voice leading, each
of the four voices, leads to the next note in the scale, creating a very interesting take on the bebop scale.
This approach has a very similar effect to the C6 Ddim toggling-polarity application mentioned earlier, yet
they sounded different and interesting. Scale-tone sevenths here start out as normal but quickly run into
that added note G# (#5 or b6) so the chord qualities start to change quickly from that of the scale-
tone sevenths in the pure major scale. I’ve outlined a few ideas from what I heard in B.H’s you-tube video,
but basically here is the main theme:
Notice there are eight scale-tone sevenths chords as opposed to seven in a major scale. Also notice that
there are two mi7(b5) chords in the bebop major scale.
Barry Harris played them as triads over a bass note which are outlined below:
CMa7 Dmi7(b5) Emi11 FdimMa7 G9sus4 G#/AbdimMa7 AmiMa7 Bmi7(b5)
The triads (numerator) over the bass notes can be inverted giving a greater range.
How are these used? They can be used much the same way as the C6/Ddim method. There is the same
polarity evident with BH’s approach i.e. tonic dominant toggling. The exception to this would be the V7sus4
or F/G in our example. It’s not a tonic chord but it is an unresolved dominant so it can function also as an
unresolved tonic in a way. Once this is looked at the next step (perhaps) could be to learn the associated
modes of the major bebop scale. They will be the same as in a major scale except for the added #5/b6. BH
quotes the bridge to My Funny Valentine as an example where this might be used—it sounds fantastic! But
why is it so hard to learn in all keys and in all forms?

Scales You Can Use Over A Dominant Chord With A Tritone Substitution

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Scales You Can Use Over A Dominant Chord With A Tritone Substitution

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This Jazz Piano Tutorial is about the scales you can use over a dominant chord with a tritone

Db Mixolydian doesn’t quite fit over the G7 chord; and

You have a number of options when improvising over G7 and/or Db7:

Tritone Substitution & Scales

Tritone Substitution and Scales

Chord Progression #1 Dm7 G7 CMaj7

Scales D Dorian G Mixolydian C Ionian

Chord Progression #2 Dm7 D♭7 CMaj7

Scales D Dorian D♭ Mixloydian C Ionian

Key C Major G♭ Major C Major

Chord Progression #3 Dm7 G7 - D♭7 CMaj7

Scales D Dorian ? C Ionian

 D♭ Mixolydian (G♭ Major) = D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭

 D♭ Mixolydian doesn’t quite fit over the G7 chord; and

 G Mixolydian doesn’t quite fit over the D♭7 chord

 Play G Mixolydian but avoid the C

 Scales that fit over G7 and D♭7

o Dominant Diminished Scale = G A♭ B♭ B D♭ D E F

 AKA G Altered Scale

 AKA D♭ Lydian Dominant

 AKA D♭ Altered Scale

 AKA G Lydian Dominant

Miscellaneous Dominant Facts

 A V7♭5 Chord is its own tritone substitution

o Rootless G7#9♭13 = Rootless D♭7 = F A# B E♭

 You will often see Tritone Substituted II-V‘s

o When improvising, use the relevant Dorian scale for m7 chords

o The possible combinations and permutations are listed below

Dm7 D♭7 CMaj7

 D♭ Mixolydian (G♭ Major) = D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C♭

Diminished Scale Theory

Diminished Scale Theory: What is the

Diminished Scale Theory: How Is It

1. C and F# = D7 and Ab7 chord

2. D# and A = B7 and F7 chord

3. C# and G = A7 and Eb7 chord

4. E and Bb = C7 and F#7 chord

What is a tritone substitution?

In practice tritone substitutions most often substitute a DOMINANT chord for

Standard Tritone Sub

Dmin7 Db7 Cmaj7

Tritone sub of vimin7 or VI7

Tritone Sub of iii

Tritone Substitution Using Multiple Tritone Subs

Using Scales to Approach Tritone

 The Lydian Dominant scale (1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, b7, 8)

 The Lydian scale (1, 2, 3, #4, 5, 6, 7, 8) can be

1. iii Replaces the I

2. #i Diminished Replaces the VI

Here’s the context: a I-VI-ii-V, which in the key of C is Cmaj7-A7-Dmin7-G7. When

A tritone substitution occurs whenever a chord is being substituted or replaced by

One of the most common tritone subs is Tritone Sub of V.

In the context of a ii-V-I chord progression (Dmin7-G7-Cmaj7), you would replace

4. I-IV-iii-VI Turnaround to a ii-V-I

The 16 Most Important Scales in

#1-7 The Medieval Church Modes

2. Dorian Minor scale 12b3456b78 – Dmin7

3. Phrygian Minor scale 1b2b345b6b78 – Emin7 or G7(b9)sus

4. Lydian Major 123#45678 – Fmaj7 or Cmaj7(#4)

5. Mixolydian (Dominant) 123456b78 – G7

6. Aeoian (Natural Minor) 12b345b6b78 – Amin7 (Dorian is more common)

7. Locrian (Half-Diminished) 1b2b34b5b6b78 – Bmin7(b5)

When approaching a half-diminished chord, some players like to sharpen the b2