How To Add The Major Bebop Scale To Your Playing

Posted on by freejazzlessons

major bebop scaleDo you wish knew more ways to bridge the gap between the scales you know and what real jazz musicians actually use in their jazz solos?

One of the best ways to go about doing this is to learn the method behind the major bebop scale.

When used properly this scale can open a lot of doors in your improvisation!

The Major Bebop Scale Action Plan

To get started learning first watch the video below so you can best understand how to use this jazz scale and hear it in action.

Then scroll down and check out the notation and extra tips!

Jazz Scale Theory

jazz scales

Major Bebop Scale: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, #5, 6, 7, 8.

The passing note makes all the difference! Keep reading to learn how to use it effectively.

Essential Bebop Scale Stuff To Know

  • This scale is essentially a major scale with 1 chromatic passing note between scale degrees 5 and 6.
  • A measure of 4/4 has 8 eighth notes in it. Major scales and their modes only have 7 notes in them. Bebop scales have 8 notes.
  • So, bebop scales are designed to always have chord tones happening on the strong beats (beats 1, 2, 3, 4) and passing notes notes happening on the off beats (the &’s of the beat).
  •  In general, if you look at great jazz solos, alot of the lines have chord tones happening on the strong beats and passing tones on the weak beats. So, this scale falls right in line with this powerful concept.
  • It can be used in other ways but most of the time I tend to use the bebop scale at the ends of my phrases.
  • So, when you play your favorite jazz licks or runs and then use the bebop scale at the end of your lines it can really round out your phrases!
  • I also tend to use it a bit more when I’m playing at faster tempos. I talk about why this is a good strategy in this fast tempo lesson.

Your Action Steps

This site is all about you taking action and helping you improve as a musician. So, I offer you 3 ways to improve your playing right now.

1. Find an example of the major bebop scale is one of your favorite jazz solos. Leave a quick comment below and mention where you hear it.

2. Extra Credit: Make a quick recording of you using the major bebop scale over a few measures of music, your favorite set of chord changes, or a jazz tune. It can literally be anything you like.

(You can easily record and upload to soundcloud.com in like 5 minutes. Leave a link to your playing below and I’ll personally take a listen to it! :)

3. EXTRA EXTRA CREDIT: Create a quick youtube video of you using the major bebop scale.

Making videos is a great learning experience and it’s a fantastic way to share music and your passion with the world.

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- Hope you enjoyed today’s lesson and look forward to hearing from you in the comments below!

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Steve Nixon is the proud owner of freejazzlessons.com He is a world touring jazz and blues keyboard player and educator.

He is also the author of the brand new Jazz Masters Method , a study of 9 legendary jazz piano players, and the Learn Blues Piano DVD Course


Related Lessons:

  1. Dominant Bebop Scale Video Lesson
  2. The Altered Scale – A Simple How To Guide
  3. 3 Of The Most Useful Scales To Play Over Major Chords
  4. 10 Jazz Scales You Should Know (Part 1)
  5. Learn A Miles Davis Jazz Lick
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This entry was posted in Approaches to Soloing, Improvisation, Jazz 101, Jazz Blog and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.
  • TromboneAl

    Excellent.  I’ve known the bebop scale for years, yet I never really use it.  This lesson will help.

    BTW, your intro music for each lesson, only comes out of the left channel (speaker).  As a result, many will think, for a while, that there is something wrong with their computer or headphones.  That’s what happened to me.

    • http://www.freejazzlessons.com/ Steve Nixon (freejazzlessons)

      Thanks Al. Glad you found the lesson useful. I will take a look at why that’s happening to you.

  • TromboneAl

    Hey, Steve, I’m not getting the kind of result I’d like, perhaps you can tell what’s wrong.

    In this recording I’m playing some bebop scales over the changes to Green Dolphin. 

    https://www.box.com/s/da8adbba571180fada98

    But to me it’s just sounding like an exercise.  I get the benefit of the chord tones falling on downbeats only if I play a scale, but the scales sound boring. 

    Perhaps you can record something similar, and show me what I could be doing to make it sound better.

    Thanks!

    Al

    • http://www.freejazzlessons.com/ Steve Nixon (freejazzlessons)

      Awesome work Al! Thanks for your contribution. Ok, off the top of my head there are a few things that I would add in to your playing. Most of it has to do w/ phrasing and context in which you’re using the scale.

      1. You could make it sound a lot more interesting if you didn’t start your phrases right on the downbeat. Use a pickup and start on the “&”. This is especially true on your first phrase.

      2. Your phrasing and swing feel is much better bars 6-7 over the II-V-I. It sounds way more musical. This is because you start on an &

      3. I don’t play the ascending version of the scale as much as I use the descending version.

      3. In general, I tend to use this scale as a connector idea into other ideas. I’ll especially use it after I play an ascending idea that has more jumps in it.

      4. I don’t usually start a phrase with the scale. You absolutely could. It’s not against the law or anything but I don’t hear it happening that much :)

      5. Also, your first phrase could end a bit more musically on the rhythmic level. It would have swung alot more if you would have cut off your last note earlier instead of holding it out. Alot of the swing and groove is in the subtle stuff like note duration.

      • TromboneAl

         OK, I’ve got it now.  Here’s a harder-swinging version using Have You Met Ms. Jones changes.  In real life, I wouldn’t use the scale so much and so explicitly, but to help me learn it and prove to myself that it is worth learning, there’s a lot of scalar passages here.

        https://www.box.com/s/e8085f52fbee1e16db30

        Now that I see how things work, I’ve committed myself to learn the major bebop scale well in all keys.

        This was also a wake-up call telling me that for some reason I’ve been neglecting to swing hard enough.

        Thanks, Steve!

  • TromboneAl

    I tried it out at a gig last night:

    https:// www. box. com/s/b6cc4e491ec8f2d5270b

    • http://www.freejazzlessons.com/ Steve Nixon (freejazzlessons)

      Nice work Al. That’s what I’m talking about!