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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?
G7 = G B D F
D♭7 = D♭ F A♭ B
Key C Major
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
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?
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:
o Wholetone Scale = G A B D♭ E♭ F
o A♭ melodic minor = A♭ B♭ C♭ D♭ E♭ F G
o D melodic minor = D E F G A B C#
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.
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
Dm7 G7 CMaj7
A♭m7 D♭7 CMaj7
A♭m7 G7 CMaj7
G Mixolydian (C Major) = G A B C D E F
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 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.
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.
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:
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.
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).
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:
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.
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!
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.
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.
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:
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!
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…
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.
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 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.
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!
Th major scale is consonant over major chords. For example, a C major scale
corresponds with a C major chord.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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:
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 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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)!
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:
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
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.
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
NATURAL MINOR C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
HARMONIC MINOR C D Eb F G Ab B C
Structure: 2122131
LOCRIAN #6
Structure: 1221312
Structure: 2213121
ROMANIAN
Structure: 2131212
PHRYGIAN DOMINANT
Alternative names: Mixolydian flat 9 flat 13, Phrygian Major, Balkan, Spanish Gipsy,
Ahava Rabah, Mixolydian b2 b6
PHRYGIAN C Db Eb F G Ab Bb C
PHRYGIAN DOMINANT C Db E F G Ab Bb C
Structure: 1312122
major dominant
LYDIAN #2
Structure: 3121221
chords over first notes:
ULTRALOCRIAN
Structure: 1212213
diminished diminished
JAZZ MINOR
Alternative names: Melodic Minor Ascending, Minor Major, Modern Minor, Ionian flat
3, Dorian maj7, Ipoionian, Dorian major 7
NATURAL MINOR C D Eb F G Ab Bb C
HARMONIC MINOR C D Eb F G Ab B C
MELODIC MINOR C D Eb F G A B C
Structure: 2122221
DORIAN b9
Structure: 1222212
LYDIAN AUGMENTED
Structure: 2222121
Chord simbols: C+, C+(maj7), C^+, C9+(maj7), C^(#5), Cmaj7(#5), C^(#5 #11)
LYDIAN DOMINANT
Structure: 2221212
major dominant
Chord simbols: C, C7, C9, C7(#11), C9(#11), C13(#11)
MIXOLYDIAN b13
Structure: 2212122
major dominant
SEMILOCRIAN
Structure: 2121222
SUPERLOCRIAN
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:
chords over first notes:
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
HARMONIC MINOR C D Eb F G Ab B C
HARMONIC MAJOR C D E F G Ab B C
Structure: 2212131
chords over first notes:
DORIAN b5
Structure: 2121312
PHRYGIAN b4
Structure: 1213122
Enharmonic interpretation:
major dominant
LYDIAN b3
Alternative names: Lydian flat 3, Jazz Minor sharp 4, Jazz Minor #11, Lydian
Diminished
Structure: 2131221
MIXOLYDIAN b9
Structure: 1312212
major dominant
LYDIAN AUGMENTED #2
LOCRIAN bb7
Structure: 1221213
diminished diminished
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
LYDIAN #6
Structure: 2221311
MIXOLYDIAN AUGMENTED
Structure: 2213112
HUNGARIAN GIPSY
Structure: 2131122
LOCRIAN DOMINANT
Alternative names: Locrian sharp 3, Oriental flat 6, Mixolydian flat 5 flat 9 flat 13,
Mixolydian b2 b5 b6
Structure: 1311222
IONIAN #2
ULTRALOCRIAN bb3
Structure: 1122213
Enharmonic interpretation:
NEAPOLITAN
Structure: 1222221
LEADING WHOLE-TONE
Structure: 2222211
LYDIAN AUGMENTED
DOMINANT
Alternative names: Lydian sharp 5 flat7, Mixolydian sharp 5 sharp 11, Mixolydian #4
#5
LYDIAN DOMINANT b6
Alternative names: Lydian flat 6 flat 7, Mixolydian sharp 11 flat 13, Mixolydian #4 b6,
Lydian Minor
Structure: 2221122
major dominant
Alternative names: Mixolydian flat 5 flat 6, Mixolydian b5 b13, Locrian sharp 2 sharp
3, Arabian
Structure: 2211222
SEMILOCRIAN b4
Structure: 2112222
SUPERLOCRIAN bb3
Structure: 1122222
Enharmonic interpretation:
COMPARATIVE TABLE
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
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
LYDIAN #2 #6
Structure: 3121311
ULTRAPHRYGIAN
Structure: 1213113
Triad:
minor
Enharmonic interpretation:
Triad:
major
HUNGARIAN MINOR
Alternative names: Harmonic Minor sharp 4, Lydian flat 3 flat 6, Double Harmonic
Minor, Algerian, Minor Gipsy
HARMONIC MINOR C D Eb F G Ab B C
DOUBLE HARMONIC
C D Eb F# G Ab B C
MINOR
Structure: 2131131
ORIENTAL
Structure: 1311312
IONIAN AUGMENTED #2
Structure: 3113121
Structure: 1131213
Enharmonic interpretation:
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):
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
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-
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:
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