Jazz Guitar Scales

Jazz guitar scales provide the foundation for jazz music's improvisational sound. Non-jazz fans might not realize it, but even though jazz seems very free and boundless, it is the jazz musician's intense understanding of music theory that allows him or her to create such effortless sounding music. Even though jazz might seem like the other side of the spectrum from classical music, in many ways both styles start with a strong understanding of scales. This article will cover some of the major jazz guitar scales and will refer musicians to other resources that will further assist them in their practice.

Some Basic Jazz Guitar Theory

What makes a scale a jazz scale is somewhat subjective. The harmony of jazz music is so complex and rich that the notion of what makes a good or bad note is controversial. However, there are some scales that tend to be associated with jazz guitar. But before these scales can be applied, a basic understanding of modes must be discussed.

Modes

When musicians talk about modes, they are essentially referring to which note of a scale they are using as the root, or beginning note. That being said, the difference between modes and scales is somewhat arbitrary, however the general way to understand modes is to use an example. Think of a C major scale. It consists of the following notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. If you start that scale on the C, this is known as the Ionian mode. Just so you're clear, playing a C major scale and playing the Ionian mode is exactly the same thing. Now depending on which note you start playing the C major scale on, a different mode is created. See the following list:

• Dorian Mode – D, E, F, G, A, B, C, and D
• Phrygian Mode – E, F, G, A, B, C, D, and E
• Lydian Mode – F, G, A, B, C, D, E, and F
• Myxolydian Mode – G, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G
• Aolian Mode – A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and A
• Locrian Mode – B, C, D, E, F, G, A, and B

Using the same notes, but orienting your phrases around a different starting note gives your playing an entirely different sound and feeling. All of these modes are used in jazz, but the Myxolydian and Dorian modes are probably used most often.

Specific Jazz Guitar Scales

You can also alter the modes listed above in ways that create other scales that work well for jazz guitar.

• Bebop Scale – Bebop scales are eight note scales that are slight modifications of different modes. To create a bebop scale, a player can either add a sharp 5th or a flat 6th to a tonic scale, add a major 3rd to a Dorian mode, or add a major 7th to a Myxolydian mode. These scales are great to use over progressions that alternate between the minor II and the major V chords of a key.

• Chromatic Scale – The chromatic scale, as its name suggests, contains all twelve notes of the western music scale. Because all the notes are available in a chromatic scale, where the musician decides to start and end the scale and where in the phrase it is inserted is crucial.

• Diminished Scale – The diminished scale is a very common scale played in jazz music. It is often played on top of a dominant 7th chord. Playing alternating intervals creates the scale itself, and the switching of whole tone and semi tone intervals creates the tense feeling of this scale.

Other Resources

For some students of jazz music, building a personal library of books is an important part of the learning process. For all the Internet has to offer, there are definitely still plenty of things to be found in books that you can't get for free online. Here are some excellent texts that will help you expand your understanding of jazz guitar scales.

• All Blues Soloing Jazz Guitar – This book is nearly one hundred pages of jazz and blues soloing vocabulary. The text covers everything from scales to approaches to improvisation and phrasing, and all material is written out in both tablature and music notation.

• Mel Bay Jazz Guitar Scale Chart – This book of scale charts offers diagrams of the most common scales used by jazz guitarists. Think of this book as a road atlas for your guitar that will help you navigate your way through your study of jazz.

• Jazzology – Jazzology: The Encyclopedia of Jazz Theory for All Musicians covers scales and modes, intervals, harmony and much more. The books' unique approach has earned it some of the highest reviews of any jazz text around.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The difference between memorizing scales and playing jazz guitar is thousands of hours of practice. You must be able to call upon these scales unconsciously in order to express yourself fully when you are performing. There is no shortcut to this process. If you are going to improve as a jazz guitar player, you seriously need to consider setting aside a chunk of time every single day for practice. Only with this kind of discipline and dedication will you be able to reach your potential.

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