This Is Probably The Most Useful Scale In Jazz Improvisation

By Bill Plake
Scalesaretherawmaterialofmelody,whetherimprovisedorcomposed.Itsnot
likelythatyoullstudyjazzimprovisationtoanyseriousdegreewithoutspendinga
lotoftimelearning,exploringandcreatingmelodieswithscalarmaterial(aswellas
understandinghowthesescalesrelatetoharmony).
Inmodernjazzimprovisation,manydifferentscalecolorsareused:diminished,major
(includingLydianandothermodes),minor,bluesscales,dominant7thscales,
pentatonicandhexatonicscalesIfyouspendtimewiththemyoucanfindlotsof
musicalpossibilities.
ImyselfhavespentlotsoftimeovertheyearsworkingwithscalesasIstudy
improvisation.InmyexplorationsIvefoundthemelodicminorscale(inascending
form,i.e.,amajorscalewithaflatted3rd)tobetheoneofthemostuseful.Thereare
threereasonswhy:
First,thescalehasanaturallybeautifulcontour,whichinvitescompellingmelodies.
TakealookbelowataCmelodicminorscale:

Becauseitcontainstwotritones(EbA;FB),iteasilyandnaturallymovesinandout
oftension,foldingandunfoldingintoresolution.Ifyouweretojustimproviseusing
thenotesofthescale,youcouldfindlotsofcogentsoundingmelodicpossibilities.
ThesecondreasonIfindthisscalesousefulisthatitoffersadifferentperspectivein
understandingnatural,aswellasaltered,harmonyoverdominant7thchords.Lookat
theexamplebelow:

Thisishowthemelodicminoristypicallyappliedoverdominant7thchordsin
modernjazz.ImusingaCmelodicminoroveraB7chord(thescaleonehalfstep
abovetherootofthedominant7thchord,whichiscommonlyreferredtoasthejazz
minorscale).Ifyouanalyzeityoullseethereisagoodamountofharmonictension.
Infact,itcontainsall6tensiontonesoverthedominantchordthatseekresolution,
specifically:F(functioningastheraised11th),A(7th),C(lowered9th),Eb
(functioningasthe3rd),G(lowered13th),andD(functioningastheraised9th).
Butnowtakealookattheotherexamplesbelow,usingtheexactsamemelodic
patternformedfromtheCmelodicminorasitisappliedtootherdominant7th
chords:

YoucananalyzeeachoftheseVIpatternstoseethattheharmonicfunctionsofeach
noteoftheminorscalechangesinrelationshiptothedominantchord.Playthrough
thesepatternsandyoullhear5differentcolorsoftensiontoresolution,somewith
lotsofalteredharmony.
Whenapplyingthemelodicminorscalestodominant7thchords,Itendtothinkof
themasiftheywereinthesecondoctaveabovethediatonicnotesofthedominant
chordscale.IllusetheF7chordasanexample:

InthefirsttwomeasuresarethenotesthatarenaturaltotheF7chord(theBbmajor
scale).Inthesecondtwomeasures(goingintothesecondoctave)Ireplacethis
scalewiththeCmelodicminor.Inthisparticularexample,theonlyrealchangeisthat
theBismadenaturalinthesecondoctave(functioningastheraised11threlativeto
theF7).TherestofthenotesareincommonwiththeBbmajorscale.Andofcourse
youcandothesamethingwiththeotherkeysIveusedaboveasexamples(Ill
demonstratethismorepreciselybelow).Indoingso,youllfindvaryingdegreesof
harmonicalterationrelativetoeachdominantchord,aswellastonescommontothe
diatonicscaleofthedominantchord.
Thiswasthewaythegreattenorsaxophonistandimprovisinggenius,WarneMarsh,
approachedalteredharmonictensions(hetaughthisstudentstothinkandhearthis
way,aswell).Itlendsamelodic/scalarcontexttoalterednotesandinvitesamore
linearconceptiontoimprovisation.
Foreachdominant7thchordthereare5differentmelodicminorscalesthatcan
functioninthissecondoctavemanner.These5scalesfunctionassobecausethey
containvariousalteredandunalterednotesthattendtomovetowardreleaseto

thetonic,yetdonthavearaised7th,whichwouldcompromisethe
essentialqualityofthedominant7th(unlessitisusedasapassingtone,

ofcourse).Thereisasimpleformulaforfindingtheminorscalesthat

relatetothedominant7thchords.Youcanfindwhichscalesfitoveranygiven
dominant7thchordbythinkingoftherootsoftheminorscaleinrelationtothe
variousdegreesofthechorditself:
Fromthe5thdegreeofthedominant(e.g.,CminoroverF7),whichcontainsthe3rd,7th
and+11astensions.
Fromthe4thdegreeofthedominant(e.g.,CminoroverG7),whichcontainsthe3rd,
7thand13astensions.
Fromthe7thdegreeofthedominant(e.g.,CminoroverD7),whichcontainsthe7th,9
and+9astensions.
Fromthelowered3rddegreeofthedominant(e.g.,CminoroverA7),whichcontains
the7th,+9,+11and13astensions.
Fromtheraisedroot(lowered2nd)ofthedominant(e.g.,CminoroverB7),whichhas
3rd,7th,9,+9,+11and13astensions(again,thejazzminorscalecontainingall6
tensions).
Herearethenotatedexamplesoftheaboveformula:

Masteringandunderstandingthesescalesinrelationtodominantchordscanopenup
aworldofmelodicpossibilitieswhenyouimproviseoverharmonicforms,aswellas
whenyouimprovisewithoutchordchanges.(Note:Theaboveexamplesareonly
intendedtoshowtherelationshipofeachminorscaletothenaturalscaleofthe
dominantchord.Thesecondoctaveconceptisonepurelyofunderstandingthese
relationships.Youcanplaythenotesinanyorderthatmakesmusicalsensetoyou
whenyouimprovise.)
ThethirdreasonIfindthemelodicminorscalesousefulisthatIcancombinethe
variousscalesthatrelatetoanygivendominant7thchordtocreateinteresting,
modernsoundingmelodiccolors.BycombingCmelodicminorandF#melodic
minoroveraiiVIprogressioninthekeyofBb(bothscalesrelatetotheF7chord),I
cangetauniquemelodicshapewithlotsoftension,contourandreleasethroughvoice

leading:

Ihavefoundsomanynewwaysofthinking,imaginingandhearingdifferenttonal
possibilitiesbyexploringthemelodicminorscales.
Oneofthestaplesofthemorerecentmodernjazzlexiconistheuseoftriadpairs.
Triadshaveaverystrongtonalimplication,andpairingthemtogethercanaddlotsof
tensionandenergytoyourimprovisedlines.Idliketosharewithyouaverysimple
wayyoucanorganizetheCmelodicminorscaleintoabeautiful,starksoundingtriad
pairpatternthatwillworknicelyoverthe5differentVIchordprogressionsIve
mentionedabove.Lookattheexamplebelow,whereIformapatternbycombingaD
minortriad(formedfromtheseconddegreeofthescale)andanEbAugmentedtriad
(formedfromthethirddegreeofthescale):

Playthisafewtimestogetitinyourearandunderyourfingers.Then,bytaking
variousportionsofthispattern(exactlyasitis),seehowyoucanapplyitoverVI
progressions:

Playthroughthesepatternsandnoticehoweachpatternsoundsasitresolves
differentlytoeachtonicchord.Now,byinvertingthepatternabitandusingsome
rhythmicvariations,yougetevenmorepossibilities:

Youvejustcovered5keyswithonetriadpairpattern.Youdonthavetobea
mathematiciantorealizethatifyoulearnedthispatternahalfstepup(C#Minor),

youdcover10keys.Learnitahalfstepdown(BMinor)andyoullhaveitinall12
keyswithroomtospare.Itsaneasywaytoaddsomenewmovementandinterestto
yoursolos.
Heresapdfsampleforyoudownloadfrommybook,MelodicMinorScaleJazz
Studies,whichcanserveasareference.Iveputthisparticulartriadpairinallkeys
anddemonstratedhoweachtriadpairresolvesfromthe5differentdominant7th
chordstotheircorrespondingtonicsinavarietyofways.Hopeyouenjoy!
Seemoreat:http://www.bestsaxophonewebsiteever.com/thisisprobablythemost
usefulscaleinjazzimprovisation/#sthash.q3rmI04w.dpuf