SCALES

Improvising with Jazz Scales

Here are some more tools & information about improvising over the chords of jazz tunes. These more exotic scales are also useful for making up your own melodies or solos based on the chords (arpeggios) that harmonize the melody of the jazz tune. Practice them until they feel comfortable. Try making up little patterns or "riffs" of several notes from each scale. Then play the riffs in the sequence that the corresponding chords occur in the song.

The .mus files can be downloaded and opened with FINALE, version 2007 or higher. The .pdf files can be downloaded and opened to print with Adobe Reader.

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Once you are comfortable with these scales, try making up some up some of your own patterns. Practice with the following standards:
"Autumn Leaves"

More Standards & Improvisation:
"When the Saints"

"All the Things You Are"
"My Funny Valentine"


Electric Bass Fingerings:

Two Octave Scale Electric Bass
Two Octave Arpeggio Electric Bass
Modes Exercise Electric Bass


Rhythm Guitar Chord Inversions

Comping Guitar Chord Inversions

FINALE .mus files:

Major Scales
Treble Clef: C, F, Bb | Eb, Ab, Db | G, D, A | E, B, F#
Bass Clef: C, F, Bb | Eb, Ab, Db | G, D, A | E, B, F#

Modes Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Melodic Minor Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Harmonic Minor Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Harmonic Major Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Augmented Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Gypsy or Byanztine Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Neopolitan Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Diminished, Augmented, Blues, Pentatonic
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Other Scales
Treble Clef | Bass Clef


.pdf files:

Major Scales
Treble Clef: C, F, Bb | Eb, Ab, Db | G, D, A | E, B, F#
Bass Clef: C, F, Bb | Eb, Ab, Db | G, D, A | E, B, F#

Modes Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Melodic Minor Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Harmonic Minor Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Harmonic Major Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Augmented Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Gypsy or Byzantine Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Neopolitan Exercise
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Diminished, Augmented, Blues, Pentatonic
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

Other Scales
Treble Clef | Bass Clef

 

Scale choices for Chord Types
Major
Dominant
Minor
Half Diminished
Diminished
Augmented
Major
Myxolydian
Dorian
Locrian
Diminished
Whole Tone
Lydian
Lydian Dominant
Phrygian
Half Diminished
-
Lydian Dominant
Lydian Augmented
Hindu
Aeolian
Super Locrian
-
Super Locrian
Harmonic Major
Whole Tone
Diminished
Diminished
-
Diminished
Augmented
Diminished
Blues
Blues
-
-
Diminished
Super Locrian
Melodic Minor
-
-
-
Blues
Blues
Harmonic Minor
-
-
-