Bebop Scales Peter Sklaroff

Bebop scales are constructed from the traditional seven note scales used in Western harmony but with an additional pitch
added, thereby producing an eight-note scale. They found popularity with a lot of jazz musicians due to the fact that they
help to enhance quaver lines by making chord tones 'fall' onto strong beats in the bar if the scale is begun itself from a
chord tone. If you look at the second and third bars in the examples below you will see this effect in action. You can try
this out by beginning the scales on the Root, 3rd, 5th and 6th (for the major and minor scales illustrated here) and from
the Root, 3rd, 5th and b7 for the Mixolydian mode. There are a number of other Bebop scales in use but the ones below
are the most common.

(C Major Scale) (C BeBop Major Scale)

& ™™C œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ nœ œ œ Œ Ó
œ œ œ œ œ

™C 0 2
0 1
0 1 2
0 1
Œ Ó
⁄ ™ 3
0 2 3
3
0 2 3

(C Mixolydian Mode) (C BeBop Mixolydian Mode)

4

& œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ nœ œ Œ Ó

1 0 1
0 2 3 0 2 3 Œ Ó
0 2 3 0 2 3
⁄ 3 3

(C Melodic Minor Scale) (C BeBop Melodic Minor Scale)

7

& œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ bœ nœ œ œ Œ Ó

0 1 0 1
0 2 0 1 2 Œ Ó
0 1 3 0 1 3
⁄ 3 3

(C Dorian Minor Scale) (C BeBop Dorian Minor Scale)

10

& œ œ œ bœ œ œ bœ nœ bœ œ Œ Ó
œ œ b œ œ œ bœ œ

1 1
0 2 3 0 1 2 3 Œ Ó
0 1 3 0 1 3
⁄ 3 3

Copyright © P.Sklaroff 2010