Bebop Scale examples

Below You will find some examples of Bebop Scale in some keys:

 

  • In C Key: C  B  Bb   A  G   F   E   D
  • in A Key: A  Ab  G  F#  E  D  C#  B
  • in D Key: D  Db  C  B  A  G  F  E
  • in G Key: G  Gb  F   E   D   C   B   A.

You can notice, that the only difference beetwen G Bebop scale and reversed G Mixolydian scale is Gb note beetwen G and F notes.

Bebop Scales

If you’re really interested in jazz music then you probably know what a bebop scale is. You’ve more than likely at least heard the term and you could probably pick it out of the music that you listen to if someone identified it for you. A bebop scale is what most jazz music operates on if they are based on or draw heavy influence from the time when bebop music was incredibly popular. It contains four types of scales, some more well known than others, and most being derived from another type of scale and placed into the jazz world with great success.

The bebop dominant scale is the most popular bebop scale and it is going to be the one that people are talking about if they say that they played the bebop scale. This is also the most easily recognized scale and the one that you can pick out of a song most easily if you had it pointed out to you first. The bebop Dorian scale is based on the original Dorian scale, which has been modified to fit bebop music. It’s often used over minor 7th cords and tends to be a fairly interesting remodeling of a regular scale. The bebop major scale comes from the Ionian mode and is usually used over major 7th and major 6th cords in jazz music. There are two types of minor scales that are still used pretty commonly. These are the bebop minor melodic scale which has been derived from the minor melodic scale. It’s usually used over minor 6th cords. The other is the bebop harmonic minor scale and is able to be used on all three notes of the minor scale, making it very versatile.

A bebop scale can be used on many different instruments and deciding to use it on a guitar would be just as easy as using it on a variety of other types of instruments. While the term bebop scale usually refers to those scales that were created or modified from others during a time when bebop was popular, it can also sometimes be used for modern day bebop artists.

Bebop Scale

A type of scale called a bebop scale is commonly used in jazz music. It has four different types of scales within it. These four types are known as the bebop dominant scale, the bebop major scale, the bebop Dorian scale, and the bebop melodic minor scale. All of these scales have an extra chromatic passing tone. Usually, bebop scales consist of normal, traditional scales with a little extra bit here and there to make it more smooth for jazz. An example of this is with a tone that begins as a chord tone on the downbeat, which makes it a little bit different from other types of scales. If it starts on a downbeat than the other notes would be on an upbeat, adding more depth to the songs.

Though there are people who add an eighth note to try to get this type of scale going, a bebop scale actually referes to the scales that were made popular during the bebop era. It can also be refering to those who still practice bebop today but it is most likely about the era, not the person. When someone says that they played the bebop scale, they are talking about the bebop dominant scale, which most definitely earned its name well. It has a chronic passing tone between the seventh tone and the root, which makes it stand out when compared to the rest of the bebop scales. The bebop Dorian scale is derived from the popular Dorian mode. You can tell this apart from others because its chronic passing tone is between the minor seventh and the tonic. The bebop melodic minor scale has a chronic passing between the fifth and sixth notes. It came from the melodic minor scale, though it was modified to fit bebop music.

It’s actually really interesting to learn all about the bebop scale. While there are only four major types of scales, the variety that they offer show exactly why bebop was so popular at one point in time. There are plenty of books to pick up if you’re really intersted in it and many artists who still practice authentic bebop or who put a more modern spin on it.

Welcome to Bebop Scale dot com

Bebop Scale information coming soon!