Archive for the ‘scale’ Category

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Whole tone scales and augmented chords

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Whole Tone scale:also known as auxillary augmented scale — consists entirely of whole steps.

This gives the scale a very identifiable, exotic sound, to which cetain composers like Claude Debussy and Thelonious Monk have been drawn.

However cuz all the adjacent inervals are major 2nds, the melodic possibilites are somewhat limited and only one mode exists in this scale:

C whole tone scale:

C D E F# G# A# C

Since the scale is made up entirely of whole steps, the notes are enharmonic — that is they sound the ame eve though they maybe written differently.

The notes of the whole tone scale maybe used when improvising on augmented triads of dom 7th chords with any combination of raised or lowered 5ths and major 9ths.

You may also used the whole tone scale over the minor 7th chord a perfect 4th below, although this will yield a certain amount of dissonamce.

C+ =   C  E G#

augmented traid consists of: tonic, M3, aug 5th.

C7b5 = C E Gb Bb

dominant 7#5 adds a min 7 to the aug traid while the dom 7 b5 replaces the aug 5th with a dim 5th.

C7 # 5 //  C7 +

C9b5

–adding a major 9th to either chord creates dom 9th b5 and dom #5.

–notice that both the whole toe and the dim scales contain dim 5ths but only the whole tone scale works well over these chords, with the aug 5th giving he scale its characteristic sound.

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Diminished Scales and altered dominant 7 chords

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Diminished scales aternate between half steps and whole steps.

There are only 2 modes in this family — the scale that begins with a whole step is called a diminished or diminished (whole-step) scale:

C  diminished scale:

C  D  Eb  F  Gb  Ab  A  B   C

If you begin with a half step, the resultant sale is called an inverted diminished or diminished (half step) scale:

C Db  Eb  E  F#  G  A  Bb C

Because of their symmetrial alternatin of half and whole steps, any diminished mode starting on C, Eb, Gb or A will contain the same pitches (or their enharmonical equivalent).  Likewise the D, F, Ab and B diminished modes as well as the Db, E, G and Bb diminisehd modes, all have the same pitches in common.

C dim =  Eb dim =  Gb dim =  A dim

The diminished scale is used when improvising on diminished traids, fully diminished 7th chords, diminshed/major 7th chords and a bitonal chord whose upper extensions form a triad a half step below the root of the chord.

Although a couple of the scle tones clash with the chord, the dim scale may also be used with discretion over min 7th and half dim 7th chords, esp when they resolve to an altered dom 7th chord in the context of a ii-V progression.

Dim traids consists of a root, a minor 3rd and a dim 5th.

A fully diminished 7th chord — is a diminished triad with a diminished (doubly flatted) 7th added and a dim/major7th chord consists of a diminisehd triad with a major7th added.

Dim chords usually function as passing chords between more stable sonorities.

All the notes in the dim scale work well over the dim th chord with the:

–2nd, 4th, b6th & M7 having the most color

The inverted dim scale is used when improvising over a dom7th chord with a b9, #9 or b5 — pariticularly when the chord is functioning as a V chord in a major key.  In minor keys, V chords are best colored by the altered scale.

The inverted dim scale also may be used over two bitonal chords, one formed from a triad a dim 5th above the root and another formed by a raid a maj6th above the root.

The dom 7th b5 chord consists of a root, a major 3rd, a dim 5th and a  min 7th.

A dom 7#11 chord consists of a dom 7 chord with an aug 11th added.

Adding a min 9 to a dom 7 chord creates a dom 7 b9 chord

dom 7 #9 chord consists of a dom 7 with an aug 9th

All the notes in the inverted dim scale work well over the altered om chords: the melodic use of the #9 and b9th high characteristic of bebop and post – bop styles.

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Major 7th b5

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Lydian and Phrygian Scales, Major 7th b5 chords

The lydian mode is the 4th mode in the major sale family and contain the same notes as the major scale a perfect 4th below.

Lydian mode may also be thought of as a major scale with the 4th note raised a half step.

Like the major scale, the lydian mode maybe used in improvising over major triads, major 7th chords and major 9th chords.

Because of its raised 4th degree, the lydian mode may also be used over the following chods:

–major 7th b5,

–major 7th #11,

–and major 13#11 (which  can also be written as a slash chord: G/F M7)

FM7b5    — F, A,  C or Bb, E

FM7#11  — F  A  C  E  G  B

FM13#11  (G/FM7) —  F A C E G B D

Major 7 b5  consists of:

— a root, M3, dim5,M7

Maj 7 #11

— root, M3, P5, M7, M9, Aug 11

— a major 13 may be added to this chord resulting in the lydian scale stacked in 3rds.

—————

In major key, M7 functions as either I (tonic) or IV (subdominant) chords.

Lydian scale is genearally the best scale choice when the major chord is functioning as a IV chord or is altered, while the major scale works best over the I chord in a  ii-V-I progression.

Major 7 b5 chord — may occurs as bII chord in a progression in which the i chord is colored by the phrygian scale and the bII chord by the lydian scale.

— Em  –  FM7b5
Phrygian scale

— consists of the ascending pattern:

HWWWHWW

E F G A B C D E (in C scale)

The phrygian scale is the 3rd mode in the major scale family and contains the same notes as the major scale a major 3rd below.

Phrygian scale may also be thought of as an aeolian (natural minor) scale with the 2nd note lowered one half step.

Although phrygian scale is a type of minor scale, it is occasionally used independently from a specific chord with the word ‘phrygian’ appearing in place of a chord symbol.

It can also be expressed harmonically as a minor 7 sus4 b9 chord, a slash chord consisting of a major 7b5 chord a half-step above the root, or as a progression consisting of a minor chord moving up a half-step to a major 7b5 chord.

E phrygian — Em7sus4 (b9) — Fmaj7(b5)/E —  Em7  — Fmaj7b5

Spanish Phrygian

It is a variation of the phrygian scale

–replaces the minor 3rd with a major 3rd

–it is hte 5th mode in the harmonic minor scale family

E Spanish Phyrgian:

E F G# A B C D E  (in C sale)

–can be used to color  all the chords in a  I –  bII –  bIII progression.

E  –  F  –  G  –  F –  E

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ii dim7 – V7 – i

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

Locrian and Aeloian scales and Minor ii dim7 – V7 – i  Progressions

Aeloian scale –– also known as pure minor or natural inor scale — cosists of the ascending pattern:

— WHWWHWW

Aeloian scale: A B C D E F G A  (in C scale)

The aeloian scale — 6th mode in the major scale family and contains the same notes as the major scale down a mjaor 6th (or up a minor 3rd).

Aeloian scale — may be thought of as a dorian scale with the 6th notes lowered a half step.

Like the doiran scale — this scale may be used to improvse over minor triads, minor7th chords, minor 9th chords or minor 11th chords.

Since aeloian mode contains a minor 6th degree , it is not tpically used to color a minor 6th chord (which contains a major 6th)

Aeolian scale suonds best when

— used over a minor chord functioning as a tonic chord  ( “i” in a mnior key)

–or as a submediant chord (vi in a major key).

Dorian mode is usually the preferrd choice when the minoir chord is functioning as a supertonic chord ( “ii” in a major key) or when used in modal compositions.

The aeolian mode may also be used in a modal context.

Every note in the aeolian scale works well over the minor 7th chord with the exception of the b6th which has a tendency to resolve down a half step tot he 5th.

The 2nd and 4th scale degress possess the riches color in relationship to the minor chord.

Locrian scale — consists of the ascending pattern:

HWWHWWW

Locrian scale is the 7th mode in the major scale family and contains the same notes as the major scale a minor 2nd above.

B C D E F G A B  (in C scale)

The locrian scale is the lest stable mode in the major scale modal family cuz of the interval of a dim 5th between the 1st and 5th notes in the scale.

The locrian scale is used when improvising over the half-dim chor, which may be thougth of as a minor 7th chod with a flatted 5th.

— Bm7b5 or B-7b5  or B dim7

For 11th:

Bm11(b5) or B-11(b5) or B dim 11 (b5)

The half-dim 7th chord consists of a root, minor 3rd a dim 5th and a m7th.

The lowered 2nd of the locrian scale or (b9th) is not typically considered to be a usable chord extension but the 11th is frequently added.

Occasionally a  major 9th is added to the half dim chord but this note is derived form a mode of the melodic minor family called the locrian #2 scale.

Half diminished chord is usually used as a supertonic (ii dim7) chord in a minor ii-V-i progression,

although it may also occur as a leading-tone (viidim7) chord in a major key or a secondary leading tone chord.

In a minor iidim7 – V – i  progression, the V chord is altered by adding a #9th or a b9th, and often a #5th or a b5th as well.

The preferred scale choice for improvising over an altered V7 chord is a mode of th melodic minor family called the altered scale.

Bdim7 –  E7(+9,+5)  – Am

Keyboard skills: play minor iidim7 — V7b9 — i

D dim7 —  G7b9  —  Cm

C dimu — F7b9   —  Bbm

Bbdim7  —  Eb7b9 —  Abm

G#dim7  —  C#7b9 —  F#m

F#dim7 —  B7b9 — Em

Edim7 —  A7b9  — Dm

Ebdim7 — Ab7b9 —  Dbm

C#dim7 — F#7b9 — Bm

Bdim7 — E7b9 —  Am

Adimu — D7b9 — Gm

Gdim7  — C7b9 — Fm

Fdim7 — Bb7b9 — Ebm

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Dorian minor 7th chords

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Dorian scale consists of the ascending pattern:

WHWWWHW

Dorian scale is the 2nd mode in the major scale family.

It can be thought of as a major scale with b3 and b7.

–the 3rd and 7th notes lowered a half step.

This scale is typically used when improvising over m3, m6, m7 m9 m11 m13

minor triad: 1  b3  5

minor 6:   1  b3   5  6

minor 7:  1   b3  5  b7

minor 9:  1   b3   5   b7   9

minor 11:  1  b3  5  b7  9  11

minor 13:  1  b3  5  b7  9  11  13

Note that a minor 13 — contains allthe notes in the dorian scaled stacked in 3rds.

In major key, minor chords fnction as:

–ii supertonic

–iii mediant

–vi submediant

In a minor key, minor chord funciton as i (tonic); iv (subdominant chord)

The dorian scale is the preferred choice when improvising over minor chords functioning as ii chords in a major key, iv chords in a minor key or where the chord lasts four measures or more (modal compositions).

Every note in the dorian scale maybe used over the minor chord, but the 2nd, 4th, and 6th degrees have the richest color

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Mixolydian and Dominant 7th

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

The mixolydian scale — known as the dominant scale consists of ascending pattern:

WWHWWHW

Mixolydian scale is the 5th mode in the major sacle family and contains the same notes as the major scale a perfect 5th below.

You m ay think of the mixolydian scale as a major scale with the 7th note lowered a half step.

This scale is typially used when improvising over unaltered dominant chords, such as dominant 7th, dominant 9th, dominant 13th and dominant7th suspended 4th chords.

G7  —     1 3 5 b7

G9  —    1 3 5 b7 9

G13  —  1 3 5 b7 9 13

G7sus4 — 1  4 5  b7

When the 11th is used (4th degree) it is suspended in place of the 3rd creating a dominant 7th sus4 chord.

Sometimes an aug 11th is added to the Dom7, but this color is derived from the dominant scale.

In Major and minor keys —

a.  dominant chord usually functions as a V chord

— a strong tendency to resolve to the I (tonic) chord.

b. it may also function as a secondary dominant chord acting as a V chord to a chod other than the I chord.

— eg. in major keys — we find:

  • secondary dominants built on the first scale degree of the major scale (V7 of IV)
  • the second degree (V7 of V)
  • the third degree (V7 of  vi)
  • the sixth degree (V7 of ii)
  • the 7th degree (V7 of iii)

— eg in minor keys, we find:

  • secondary dominants built on the first natural scale (V7 of vi)
  • the second degree (V7 of V)
  • the third degree (V7 of VI)
  • the fourth degree (V7 of VII)
  • and lowered 7th or subtonic degree (V7 of III)

although a dominant chord typically functions as wither a V7 chord or a secondary dominant, in jazz it can occasionally act as a tonic chord as in the case of the blues progression.

With the exception of V7sus4, the 4th note in the mixolydian scale is best used as a passing tone over V7 chords.

–the 2nd, 3rd, 6th 7th scale degrees have the richest color.

Common variant of the mixolydian scale — the bebop 7th scale

— it inserts the major 7th as a passing tone between the b7 and the octave.

Bebop 7th scale — can be used over unaltered dominant chords as well as the minor 7th chord a perfect 4th below the first note of the scale.

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Major scales

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Major scale — also known as the Ionian mode, consists of ascending pattern:

WWHWWWH

It is the first scale (or  mode) in the family taht also includes the dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian (dominant), aeolian (pure or natural minor) and locrian modes.

Notes of the major scale may be used when improvising over the following chords:

–major triads  1 3 5

–major 6ths   1 3 5 6

–major 7ths  1 3 5 7

–major 9th   1 3 6 7 9

–major 13th   1 3 5 7 9  13

If major 11th is added to the chord, the #11 is used — this chord tone comes from the lydian mode.

In a major key, major chords function as I or tonic.

–Chords built on the first note of the scale — tonic

— chords built on the fourth — subdominant

The major scale is the best scale choice when the chord is functioning as a I chord, while the lydian mode is the best choice when chord is functioning as a IV.

First note of the major scale lacks tension and color and is not interesting choice when beginning or ending a phrase.

4th note of the scale clashes with the 3rd of the chord and usually sounds best as a passing tone.

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