DIMINISHED LICKS

Coltrane

Probably the most well known diminished pattern comes from his solo on Moment’s Notice. Over a Bb pedal he

n both solos, Coltrane is using the same diminished concept and this is the first diminished pattern for you to
know:

Here he plays a whole-step below each diminished chord toneand alternates direction. Take away the whole-
steps and you’re left with the skeleton of the diminished chord tones:

Brecker
Another player to explore the possibilities of the diminished structure over dominant sounds was the great
Mulgrew Miller. Listen this line from his solo on You and the Night and the Music:

Start by practicing a descending 4th from each diminished chord tone:

After you ingrain this descending pattern in the 3 keys variations of the diminished structure, explore changing
direction and alternating between keys as Mulgrew does in his line.

Creating triadic structures from the diminished tones

To be successful with this approach however, you have to be able to immediately think of each triad, so spend
some time visualizing and ingraining the four triads for each diminished structure.
One player that utilizes this sound in his solos is Mulgrew Miller. Check out how he employs this major triad
concept in his solo from Hand In Hand:

Over a Bb7 sound he is implying a Bb triad, a G triad, and an E triad. Note how he inverts the triads and
connects them by half-step in a melodic way.

Michael Brecker also uses this triadic concept in his solos as well. Let’s take another look at his solo on My
One and Only Love:
In this line he’s implying a pattern of first inversion triads (C, A, F#, Eb) but leaving out the 5th – a minor 6th
jump from 3rd to root. Start by practicing a pattern of first inversion triads on each diminished chord tones.

The larger intervals he uses in the original line are a great way to create melodic interest and avoid sounding
mechanical when using a pattern.

Another Brecker example comes from his solo on El Nino:

In this pattern he utilizes the diminished sound over a C7 chord that resolves to F-7. Let’s take a closer look at
this line. Below you can see how he is using a descending C triad, A triad, and so on:

He approaches each descending triad by a minor third – combining the minor 3rd relationship of the diminished
chord with the concept of the related major triads.

Here’s how you can practice a triadic approach to the diminished sound:

•Visualize each diminished chord tone as a triad

•Practice ascending and descending with each triad (start on root, 3rd, 5th)

•Practice each triad in different inversions and directions

•Use an approach note to each triad

•Practice connecting the triads and alternating between triads

The most common way that many players access the diminished sound, and the one that you find in schools, is
through a scale – namely the diminished scale:

It’s an eight note or octatonic scale that alternates between half-steps and whole-steps. Some also refer to this
as the double diminished scale because it can be conceptualized as alternating between two diminished
arpeggios (C, Eb, F#, A and C#, E, G, Bb).

Along with a triadic or chord tone approach to the diminished sound, many great players have also applied this
scale to their solos. If we go back to the earlier Coltrane line from Epistrophy, you’ll notice that he ends the line
with this diminished scale:
Another notable improviser that used this scale in a melodic way is Herbie Hancock. Check out this line
from his solo on There is no Greater Love and notice how he utilizes the diminished scale over a C7 chord:

Kenny Kirkland and the diminished sound

Another player to consistently use diminished patterns in creative ways was the great Kenny Kirkland.

Listen to this excerpt from his solo on the tune Black Nile:

In this line, Kirkland is using the inverse of the Coltrane pattern – moving a whole step up from each diminished
chord tone. You can also conceptualize this pattern as derived from the whole-half diminished scale:
Here’s another example of the same pattern that’s a bit slower over a minor ii-V7 on the tune Black Nile:

Here is the pattern extended…

Take a look at how he uses a combination of the diminished structure, the diminished scale, and the first
inversion triad. Take this line apart piece by piece and work it into your approach to dominant chords.

Chick Corea

Here Chick is using the first inversion triads that we talked about earlier, emphasizing them with a chromatic
approach note.
Later on in his solo, he plays the following line over an F#7 sus chord: