BEBOP SCALES

JAZZ SCALES AND PATTERNS

IN ALL 12 KEYS
by JOE RIPOSO

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Published by
JAMEY AEBERSOLD JAZZ®
P.O. Box 1244
New Albany, IN 47151-1244
www.jazzbooks.com
ISBN 978-1-56224-037-0

Engraving by JOE RIPOSO

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Engraving Formatting and Editing by KATIE COSTELLO & JASON A. LINDSEY

Cover Design & Layout by JASON A. LINDSEY
Copyright © 2008 by Jamey Aebersold Jazz® All Rights Reserved.
Printed in U.S.A. International Copyright secured. All copyrights used by permission.
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 Table of Contents
Use of Chromatic Tones............................................................................3
Major Scales
with the added ½ Step in a Chromatic Pa ern....................................6
with the added ½ Step in a Scale Pa ern in 4ths................................8
with the added ½ Step Ascending and Descending Pa ern
in Major 3rds....................................................................................10
with the added ½ Step Ascending and Descending Pa ern
in Minor 3rds....................................................................................10
Dorian Scales

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with the added ½ Step in a Chromatic Pa ern..................................14
with the added ½ Step in a Scale Pa ern in 4ths..............................16
with the added ½ Step Ascending and Descending Pa ern
in Major 3rds....................................................................................18
with the added ½ Step Ascending and Descending Pa ern
in Minor 3rds....................................................................................20
Mixolydian (Dominant 7th) Scales
with the added ½ Step in a Chromatic Pa ern..................................22
with the added ½ Step in a Scale Pa ern in 4ths..............................24
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with the added ½ Step Ascending and Descending Pa ern
in Major 3rds....................................................................................26
with the added ½ Step Ascending and Descending Pa ern
in Minor 3rds....................................................................................28
Locrian (Half-Diminished) Scales
with the added ½ Step in a Chromatic Pa ern..................................30
with the added ½ Step in a Scale Pa ern in 4ths..............................32
with the added ½ Step Ascending and Descending Pa ern
in Major 3rds....................................................................................34
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with the added ½ Step Ascending and Descending Pa ern

in Minor 3rds....................................................................................36
Application........................................................... ...................................38
Examples..................................................................................................39
Summary..................................................................................................46
About The Author.....................................................................................47

2 | Table of Contents
 Use of Chromatic Tones
For the following two reasons an added chromatic tone should be used
when playing eight-note scale pa erns.

1. Adding a chromatic note to the eight-note scale will allow for

be er phrase balance.

2. The added chromatic note will allow for the chord tones of the
scale to fall on a strong down beat in the measure

Compare the following examples:

A.

B.
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In Example (A) the last note “G” falls on the “and” of the 4th beat of the
measure. This makes the scale sound awkward. The fi st note ”G” falls on
the 1st beat, which is a chord tone, but on all the other beats (2, 3, and 4)
a non-basic chord tone appears.

In example (B), the last note “G” falls on the 1st beat of the second
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measure, which gives the phrase proper musical balance. The addition of
the chromatic half step in the eight note scale in example (B) solved the
problem of not having a chord tone fall on all the down beats. The note
“G” is on the 1st beat, the note “F” is now on the 2nd beat, the note “D”
falls on the 3rd beat, “B” falls on the 4th beat, and the note “G” falls on
the 1st beat of the next measure giving the scale balance.

Use of Chromatic Tones | 3

 Major Scales
With the added ½ Step in a Chromatic Pattern

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Notice Ex.1A in the incorrect playing of the C Major eight-note scale, the
note “C” is on the fi st beat of the measure which is a chord tone. Now
look at the 2nd beat, we have the note “A” which is not a chord tone. On
the 3rd beat of the measure, we have the note “F” which is not a chord
tone and is what is called an avoidance tone. This note should not be
played on a strong beat. Another non chordal tone “D” falls on the 4th
beat.

The additiona problem we create is that the resolution falls on the “up”
beat of 4, thus creating an unbalanced scale line.
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By comparison, look at Ex. 1B the correct playing of the C Major eight-
note scale. The resolution or home tone “C” falls on the downbeat which
gives the scale the proper balance. You now have created a scale with all
the basic chord tones on each down beat of the measure. The 3rd of the
chord, which is the most important note of a chord, now falls on the 4th
beat of the measure.

Play the following Major scales to develop your ear to hear the added
chromatic tone. Learn to play these scales without reading them from
the printed page.
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6 | Major Scales (With the added ½ Step in a Chromatic Pa ern)

 Dorian Scales
With the added ½ Step Ascending and Descending
Pattern in 4ths

Using the same concept as in the chromatic pa ern, the following is an

ascending and descending pa ern in 4ths. Many jazz tunes use the chord
progression of a 4th, o en called the “cycle.” This is true especially in the
middle section of a tune called the bridge.

By practicing this exercise, you will develop your ear to hear the standard
progression of a 4th and how the appropriate Dorian scale with the ½

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step is used.

Play the following 12 scale progressions with and without the printed
page. This is all about loading up with the sounds necessary to play over
a progression in 4ths.
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16 | Dorian Scales (With the added ½ Step Ascending and Descending Pa ern in 4ths)
 Locrian (Half-Diminished) Scales
With the added ½ Step Ascending and Descending
Pattern in Major 3rds

To continue to load up with your experience of playing scales with the

added ½ step over some of the most common chord progressions, you
need to practice the following:

Many chord progressions use the interval of a Major 3rd.

Play the following 12 scale progressions with and without the printed

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page. This is all about loading up with the sounds necessary to play over
a progression in Major 3rds.
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34 | Locrian Scales (With the added ½ Step Ascending and Descending Pa ern in Major 3rds)
 Application
Now that you have developed your ear to hear where the added ½ step
chromatic tone can be used, you need to combine the scales to shape a
melodic line. The most common use of these combined scales is over a
II7, V7, I chord progression.

You may find that there are places where additional chromatic tones can
be used. In the following examples, I have taken the liberty to use a few
of these extra chromatic tones to even out the melodic line.

Remember, the reason for using ½ step chromatic tones is so that the
chord tones fall on all the strong down beats in a measure.

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Jazz players use scales with added chromatic tones with ease. These
added chromatic tones help to navigate through chord progressions.
Chromatic tones in the 8th note scale can be thought of as hinge tones. It
is important to hinge one scale to an other.

A jazz player selects a target note in the new chord to go to and uses the
added chromatic tone in the 8th note scale to get to the desired note.
Using the 8th note scale in this way will provide the much needed line
direction, or as some times called, “forward motion” in the melodic line.

Each chord in a progression needs to be married to each other. They

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should not be thought of as individual chords. They are all related to each
other in the progression. Think of the key center of each chord and play
on the key center using the unique color tones of each chord.

In the minor 7 chord, the 3rd is a desired note as well as the 7th. The note
that makes the minor chord sound Dorian is the 6th. As stated earlier, all
the notes of a Dorian scale are good notes to use.

The most common target note for be er line direction in the Dom.7
chord or Mixolydian scale is the 3rd and 7th. All the other notes, with
the exception of the 4th note, are good target notes to use. The 4th note
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of the Mixolydian scale is an avoidance tone and should not be use as a

target tone.

In a Major chord, once again, the 3rd and 7th notes are the desired tones
to consider as target notes. All the other notes, with the exception of the
4th note, are good target notes to use.

One needs to practice these concepts to allow them to become automatic.

Jazz players play without thinking of the mechanical process of performing
these concepts. They do not make a physical response when they hear a
chord progression but they make a mental response.
38 | Applicatio
 About the Author
JOE RIPOSO (Saxophonist, Composer, Arranger and Jazz Educator) is the
Director of Jazz Studies at Syracuse University. The former Director of Music
Educatio for the Liverpool Central School District (31 years) served as past
president of the Internatio al Associatio of Jazz Educators (N.Y.S. Unit) and
as the North Eastern Division Coordinator for the Internatio al Associatio of
Jazz Educators.

Riposo has served as Jazz Coordinator and Clinician for the NY State School
Music Associatio . He is the recipient of the presidential medallion for his
leadership and contributio s to the New York State School Music Associatio .

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Riposo holds the New York State School Music Associatio certi atio as a
Woodwind Adjudicator and as a State Jazz Adjudicator.

Riposo is also an acti e performer, having worked in house bands for

natio ally known arti ts such as Tony Bennett Sammy Davis, Jr., Nat King Cole,
Ella Fitzgerald and the McGuire Sisters, and others. He has played a special
performance with the Woody Herman Band on tour with Jackie Leonard
and Tony Bennett. He has also performed in bands for Diane Schuur, Harry
Connick Jr. and Natalie Cole. Riposo also conducted jazz ensembles with many
renowned guest soloists including Dizzy Gillespie, Phil Woods, Marvin Stamm,
Glenn Drewes, Darius Brubeck, Nick Brignola, and Bob Kindred. Riposo appears
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frequently as clinician, adjudicator, guest conductor and soloist in many jazz
festi als throughout the U.S.

He is the composer of numerous published composi ons and is the author of

Jazz Improvisation “The Whole-Brain Approach” and a Recorder Method (1999
by LMI) and a second Recorder Method published by Increase Music. Joe is a
contracted writer for Increase Music Publishers, Walrus Music Publishers and
Jamey Aebersold Jazz®.

Riposo received the Outstanding Jazz Educators Award from the Natio al
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Band Associatio for e ecti e leadership in instrumental music educatio by

developing successful concert and jazz bands in America’s schools.

On November 21, 1997, Riposo was inducted into the (SAMMYS) Music Hall
of Fame. He was also inducted in the Fine Arts Hall of Fame on June 8, 2003.
Riposo is the recipient of the 2008 Jazz Educator of the Year Award presented
by CYN Jazz Arts.

About the Author | 47