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03 12:00
You can create very powerful phrases just running up and down (following the
changes as they go by) and not changing direction before you run out of keys or
strings or cymbals.
Examples
NOTE: before moving to Cmaj 7 I had to insert an extra chromatic tone in order
to start the first beat of the third bar with a chord tone. We’re talking rule of
thumb n°3 here: moving to a chord tone from a strong beat (4th beat of the G7
chord), insert one or an uneven number of notes.
Using the whole-tone scale (starting whole tone things on the third beat...)
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1.1. The Old Up And Down 10.02.03 12:00
Examples
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1.2.Random Changing 10.02.03 12:01
1) Random changing
Remember you can change direction on every note. If you do it right, you will
always have your chord tones on a strong beat.
NOTE: before moving to the third bar I already anticipated the Cmaj7 bebopscale
one beat ahead.
Examples
Using diminished
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1.2.Random Changing 10.02.03 12:01
Examples
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1.3. Delay Chord Tones 10.02.03 12:02
If you are running up and down, you might want to delay the chord tones by an
EVEN number of notes like in this example:
Examples
Note: But: it’s just in case you want to sound bebop. Remember Bill Frisell... His
teacher told him what the avoid notes are and being a rebellious little gangster
he checked these out first, only to emphasize them in his playing. It makes him
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1.3. Delay Chord Tones 10.02.03 12:02
a wonderful musician, far removed from bebop, but what beauty and
modernity... Great!
Or from above and below (one note above, one note below)
Examples
Using diminished
Examples
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1.3. Delay Chord Tones 10.02.03 12:02
Examples
Example
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1.4. Combining CT and Octave Displacement 10.02.03 12:05
What happens: I move to the chord tone from above, then progress downwards
but an octave higher and then I approach the next chord tone with a delay (even
number of notes).
Another example in which I approach the last chord tone with a different kind of
delay...
Listen
Just to show you what is possible, the old II-V. It’s a little bit stupid-sounding, but
shows you what you can do with this powerful technique.
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1.4. Combining CT and Octave Displacement 10.02.03 12:05
Using diminished
Listen
Listen
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1.5. Coltrane Blues Thing 10.02.03 12:06
• From CT down
In one of his late-50’s solo recordings he starts his chorus on the blues like this
From the point of view of Mastering the Bebop Scales he does something very
specific: every time he hits a chord tone, he goes in the other direction and plays
the chromatic neighbouring tone (approach note, if you will).
Let’s take another blues example, but start on a different chord tone.
Listen
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1.5. Coltrane Blues Thing 10.02.03 12:06
Let’s go back to the old II-V and make up an example using dorian and
mixolydian...
Listen
Listen
But what if we turn the phrase upside down. Moving down, that is, instead of
moving up.
Listen
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1.5. Coltrane Blues Thing 10.02.03 12:06
• From the CT up
Listen
Listen
Listen
Using Diminished
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1.5. Coltrane Blues Thing 10.02.03 12:06
Listen
Listen
• To a CT
A bit strange, since the chord tones don’t fall on strong beats is the following
example (but then again, it’s only theory, isn’t it...?)
Listen
Watch out for the seventh. You should use it, but it behaves strangly... you could
try this...
Listen
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1.5. Coltrane Blues Thing 10.02.03 12:06
Listen
Listen
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2.1. One small Note 10.02.03 12:12
1) Just one small note (for example: from a chord tone to the
third above and then back, or to the fifth and then back)
Nota Bene: I use the third as in a regular scale. So, if you take the third of the
b7th of a dominant scale, you play the ninth and not the root.
Listen
Let’s just say you skip to the third, but you don’t return to the original
chord tone but to the next non-chord tone. Then you’ll have to insert an
extra chromatic tone from above or below before the next chord tone.
Again, notice the trouble with the seventh of the dominant chord! I haven’t
resolved this to any set of solutions. It’s a dilemma: deal with it, you can
try to solve the problem, but you might as well leave it there with a
question mark. Still, this sounds good.
Listen
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2.1. One small Note 10.02.03 12:12
A third possibility is skipping to –let’s say a third- and then continuing not
with the starting CT but with a lower CT: listen,
Listen
Listen
Fourths:
Listen
Listen
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2.1. One small Note 10.02.03 12:12
Listen
Fifths.......experiment
Sixths.........experiment
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2.2. Approaching Chord Tones 10.02.03 12:13
If you are playing from low to high instead of inserting the next NCT before
approaching a CT, you take the NCT after the CT you are approaching. Let’s make
it clear with an example:
Listen
Or Diminished
Listen
Or Whole Tone
Listen
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2.2. Approaching Chord Tones 10.02.03 12:13
From high to low you can use the NCT after the next CT you are reaching for
Diatonically:
Listen
Or Chromatically
Listen
The same goes for the Diminished (even though you stick to the diatonic tones)
Listen
For the Whole Tone Scale I suggest you stick to the diatonic tones also, listen...
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2.2. Approaching Chord Tones 10.02.03 12:13
Listen
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2.3. From any CT to any NCT 10.02.03 12:13
Listen
Listen
Using diminished
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2.3. From any CT to any NCT 10.02.03 12:13
Listen
Using Whole-Tone-Scale
Listen
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2.4. From any CT to any CT 10.02.03 12:14
Let’s just say you like to bend the rules a little and you want to move from CT to
CT. Well, no problem, just insert an extra tone before reaching the next CT.
Listen
Listen
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3.1. One Start Note 10.02.03 12:14
• From below
If you approach the starting chord tone from below, you might consider using a
(chromatic) approach tone. You will prefer to start on a weak beat...
Listen
Listen
• From above
If you approach it from above you will mostly use a diatonic tone. Using a
chromatic approach tone from above will make you sound more modern, but this
course is focusing on bebop-phrasing.
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3.1. One Start Note 10.02.03 12:14
Listen
Listen
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3.2. Two Starting Notes 10.02.03 12:15
• From above
You insert an extra chromatic tone if the distance is a whole tone. Refer to from
above and below if the distance is only a half tone...
Listen
Listen
• From below
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3.2. Two Starting Notes 10.02.03 12:15
Listen
Listen
Listen
Mostly you would use a chromatic approach note from below and not a diatonic
tone
Listen
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3.2. Two Starting Notes 10.02.03 12:15
Listen
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3.3. Three Starting Notes 10.02.03 12:16
Listen
Listen
Listen
Listen
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3.3. Three Starting Notes 10.02.03 12:16
Listen
Listen
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3.4. Four Starting Notes 10.02.03 12:16
You expand on the ideas you have already learned. I will limit myself to some examples...
Listen
Listen
Listen
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4.1. Chromatic Stretches 10.02.03 12:18
Chromatic Stretches
Minor Third
Fourth
Fifth
Sixth
Major Seventh
If you start on a strong beat: insert an extra tone before the CT you want to
reach. You can do this by approaching the CT from above or using the technique
described in Methenisms, Milesisms.
Say you want to approach the b7th of G7 from the 4th: this makes an interval of
a Fifth. Then you insert an extra tone...
Listen
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4.1. Chromatic Stretches 10.02.03 12:18
Listen
Say you want to approach the third of G7 from the fifht of G7. This is an interval
of a Third. The same goes here...
Listen
Listen
Same goes for the other direction: going up gives you the same rules as above:
Listen
Listen
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4.1. Chromatic Stretches 10.02.03 12:18
Major third
#11
#5
b6
b7
Here the rule is: If you start on a strong beat and the CT that you want to reach
is an even number of halfsteps away, you have to insert NO or an even number
of notes. You just walk chromatically to the CT.
On the other hand: if you start on a weak beat, insert one or an uneven number
of notes.
Take the same exercises as above, but with intervals with an even number of
half steps.
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4.2. Methenisms, Milesisms 10.02.03 12:19
Methenisms, Milesisms
Listen
Miles used this technique extensively far before Pat Metheny could even say ma-
ma or pa-pa. Miles didn’t use these ghost notes (intervals of thirds and minor
thirds), but used whole steps down as ghost notes. Oh Miles.........., man....
Listen
Principle is:
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4.2. Methenisms, Milesisms 10.02.03 12:19
If you start on a strong beat insert the ghost tone immediately after your starting
tone. By the time you reach the CT, you’re back in sync
Listen
If you start on a weak beat, go down a chromatic tone before inserting your
ghost tone and then continue...
Listen
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4.3. Triplets 10.02.03 12:20
Using triplets
Listen
Listen
So, what’s the idea behind the use of triplets. Triplets break the flow of the eighth
notes, so you have to add an extra chromatic tone to regain the flow of chord
tones on strong beats, if you stay within the scale without skips.
Triplets add a nice touch, you get off course, and you get back by inserting that
extra note, terrific.
You can expand on this using arpeggio’s and so on. For these, the rules all go. If
you use a three note arpeggio, you should check your next note after the triplet.
If you land on a chord tone (on this first beat, a strong beat), nothing’s wrong, if
you land on a non chord tone, you should add an extra half tone...
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4.3. Triplets 10.02.03 12:20
Listen
Listen
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4.4. Arpeggio's 10.02.03 12:20
Using arpeggio’s
• Arpeggio turnback
Listen
We use our chord tone as a starting point and the arpeggio turns back to it.
If you use three note arpeggio’s as in the example above, you land on a non-chord
tone on a strong beat. You should consider inserting an extra chromatic tone.
The arpeggio can be turned upside down like in the following example
Listen
Listen
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4.4. Arpeggio's 10.02.03 12:20
• Arpeggio’s to continue
Between the chord tone and the next tone you insert the three note arpeggio from
the next tone and then continue down or up or changing direction
Listen
You could think of the same two notes F and E and consider taking a three note
arpeggio from above, but –as much as I advise you to use your imagination- use
your ears to judge if it’s any good.
You can always insert arpeggio’s but keep in mind the rules of thumb. If the last note
of your arpeggio is a CT on a weak beat, insert an uneven number of notes before
continuing. If it’s a CT on a strong beat all’s well. If the last note is a NCT on a weak
beat, you’re ok, if it’s on a strong beat insert an uneven number of notes before
continuing..
Listen
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5.1. Embellish Triads 10.02.03 12:21
• 1 embellishing tone
• 2 embellishing tones
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5.1. Embellish Triads 10.02.03 12:21
• 3 approach notes
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5.1. Embellish Triads 10.02.03 12:21
You can find as many examples as you can think of... it’s up to you...
Examples
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5.2. Embellish Scale tones 10.02.03 12:22
After the chord tone I went up to the next diatonic tone, you could easily use the
third, to great effect...
Examples
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Introduction To ... 10.02.03 12:09
Purpose
The purpose of this website is to provide exercises to make the bebopscales work for
you. If you are interested in practicing bebop-inflected lines, this is just your site.
GOALS
Flowing/legato playing
The idea of this is to help you sound more fluent, more flowing, more bebop. The
frequent use of chromatic tones made the beboppers sound more fluent than the
bigger intervals used during the swing era, where arpeggio’s ruled the improvisations.
Smaller, chromatic intervals are hard to hear at first. For beginning musicians hardly
easy, but as you practice it more, you’ll get more adept. Charlie Parker came to this
additional chromaticism through long hours of study and he commented on his
studying habits a lot. Analysing the music, listening to classical music and practicing
as he did, he became –if not the inventor- the hero of bebop music.
You should listen to bebop-players a lot (not only Parker, but also Miles and more
advanced modern players like Yusef Lateef and Coltrane) to hear how they flowed
throughout their improvisations. Yet they tended to phrase very carefully,
emphasising some notes, ghosting others. They sound legato, but never dull.
Playing fast
Charlie Parker played fast, unbelievably fast, like lightning. Whether you will be able
to play as fast is only up to you and how many hours you are prepared to study.
Amateurs like myself will probably never play as fast as Bird, but still, you can do a
great jobs on slower tempos. Think of yourself as Miles on the Prestige-albums.
Slower than Bird, but Bebop bebop bebop...
It will make you play fluent double-time lines and still sound meaningful. No
scalerunning as you’ll hear a lot of beginners do, but clear and fast beboplines.
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Introduction To ... 10.02.03 12:09
Playing bebop is also about connecting the chords. In Swing there was a lot of
arpeggiating going on, Bebop emphasised the use of chromatic tones and landing the
chord tones on the strong beats. If you use the rules of thumb in these exercises, it
will make you easier to connect the chords in the harmony. Listen to what Charlie
Parker did on all of these great bebop-tunes and standards. He nailed the changes
right there.
Sounding mainstream
If you practice these exercises, you will eventually sound Bebop. Revolutionary in the
40’s, mainstream (in the jazzworld) today. Though this is true, you just might like
bebop and want to infuse your playing with bebop-elements.
You should also remember that the great geniuses of modern jazz (Coltrane, Miles,
Steve Coleman) worshipped Charlie Parker and came to their revolutionary music
through and after the thorough study of bebop.
Will this make you more reactionary, will you become old-fashioned. I don’t believe it.
It will turn your ear and your playing to the intricacies of bebop. You should keep an
open eye to the really modern players (Steve Coleman, probably seen in thirty years
as the Charlie Parker of the 21st century). Even if I don’t like –esthetically- what goes
on in modern jazz (John Zorn, Threadgill) and am more moved by mainstream, I am
always open to the great revolutionaries of this music.
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Pagina op het hoogste niveau 1 10.02.03 12:10
How to practice
If you practice these ideas you could use two methods: cycles and chord changes.
1.
Cycles
You could practice all these exercices on cycles of chords. For instance using the cycle
of fourths so as to practice in all keys each different chord.
It can help your ear and develop your sense of chords. Especially useful for practicing
the techniques on “stranger” scales, like phrygian, lydian, altered and so on.
Don’t worry if you can’t play Beboptunes at 300 bpm. Go over your Prestige-
recordings of Miles and relax, don’t worry.
Above all, be patient. Master each technique thoroughly before moving on. It could take you minutes, hours of months, who cares. Each step is a
step forward. BE PATIENT and practice as much as you’re comfortable with. Don’t expect miracles, but you’ll definitely be sounding more bebop
as you progress....
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Projectweb -- Planning 10.02.03 11:57
LIST OF SCALES
The principle for the bebopscales is easy. For each dominant or minor chord that
isn’t a I chord, you insert an extra chromatic tone in between b7 and the root.
For each major chord or minor chord that is a I chord, you insert an extra
chromatic tone in between the 5th and 6th.
For harmonic major and harmonic minor, you could use the same principle, but
these scales are not covered. The I chord of harmonic major doesn’t have a
bebopscale.
Phrygian: if you play the dominant bebopscale from the third of the phrygian
scale, you sound fine.
Lydian: if you play the dominant bebopscale from the second of the lydian scale,
... gorgeous
Aeolian: if you play the dominant bebopscale from the b7th, it sounds great.
Locrian: if you play the dominant bebopscale from the b6th, you sound bebop
Altered: if you play the dominantb6 bebopscale from the b6th or #5th, it sounds
wonderful
Dominant#11 or lydian dominant: if you play the dominatb6 bebopscale from the
second, you ‘ll end up sounding fantastic.
Major
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Projectweb -- Planning 10.02.03 11:57
Dorian
Phrygian
Lydian
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Projectweb -- Planning 10.02.03 11:57
Dominant
Aeolian
Locrian
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Projectweb -- Planning 10.02.03 11:57
Melodic Minor
Lydian dominant
Altered
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Projectweb -- Status 10.02.03 12:09
RULES OF THUMB
1. Starting on a chord tone is always ok
2. Moving to a chord tone from a weak beat: insert NO or an even number of notes
3. Moving to a chord tone from a strong beat: insert ONE or an UNEVEN number of notes
4. On skips:
a. Octave displacement is always ok (doesn’t interrupt the flow)
b. If you’re still on track (CT’s on a strong beat, NCT’s on a weak beat)
Chromatic
Diatonic
Beat STRONG BEAT WEAK BEAT
Starting
note
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