In theory, you can add any additional chromatic passing note to a standard 7 note (Heptatonic) scale and create your own quasi-‘Bebop Scale’. However, there’s no reason to restrict yourself to these particular extra chromatic passing notes. He settled on the above chromatic notes and created the above scales. He called them this because he noticed many Jazz musicians from the Bebop Era (Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Christian, Bud Powell, etc.) inserted an extra chromatic passing note when playing scalar runs. The scale ‘fits’ better over a 4/4 time signature because there are 8 quavers per bar & 8 notes per scale.įor example, let’s compare a Mixolydian scalar run to a Bebop Dominant scalar run:īebop scales were ‘created’ (or at least ‘named’) by a Jazz composer called David Baker. Better align the number of notes in the scale to the number of beats in a bar.Better emphasise the harmonically important notes ( Chords Tones) during descending scalar runs, by playing the chord tones ON the beat.Here are all the minor scales (natural, harmonic. Ideally, you should try playing the minor scales on a piano or keyboard to get used to the sound and feel of them. Hopefully this lesson has helped you understand the 3 different minor scales. When coming down the scale you use the natural minor. A diatonic scale has 7 notes ( this is just a fact rather than a generalisation)īy adding an extra chromatic note, Bebop scales are able to: Remember, the melodic minor is only used on the ascending scale.Notes played ON the beat sound stronger than notes played OFF the beat.Most improvised scalar runs are in quavers (therefore 8 notes per bar).The most commonly used Bebop Scales are listed below.

Bebop scales = Traditional scales + 1 chromatic passing note.

Bebop Scales are just your regular scales and modes – such as the Major, melodic minor, Dorian and Mixolydian – but with an added chromatic note. So:

Melodic minor scales piano pdf