In this lesson we’ll explore the basic forms of Bebop scales so you can start getting the

patterns down and experiment with them in your music. There are times when you solo
that you may want to do a scale run over a chord. Have you ever noticed that a straight
descending scale run as eighth notes over a chord can sound a little off? Try playing a
descending A Mixolydian scale over an A dominant 7 chord as straight eighth notes –
the scale does not quite outline the chord the way your ear expects it to. This is due to
the alignment of tones over strong and weak beats. Your ear really hones in on
beatsone and three in a four beat measure, these are the strong beats. Beats two and
four are considered weak. Additionally anything that is a subdivision of a beat is
considered weak. With the descending Mixolydian scale you have the following
arrangement of tones-to-beat:

Figure 1

All of the chord tones end up on the “ands” of the beats. So how do we get descending
runs to rhythmically align? We add chromatic passing tones and create “bop” scales.
Play the descending scale again as eighth notes, but this time add a G#. Now look at
how the beats line up:

Figure 2

Do you hear the difference in how the chord is defined? The chord tones end up on all
the beats. Bebop scales were used sparingly in jazz during the 1930’s and really
became popular in the 1940’s. There are different types of bop scales corresponding to
the different modes, but they all have an added chromatic passing tone making them
eight note scales.
Let’s start with the scale we just defined: Bebop Dominant Scale. The dominant bop
scale is formed from the Mixolydian mode of the scale – the chromatic passing tone is
added between the seventh and the root. Here is the C-Bebop Dominant scale:

Figure 3: C Bebop Dominant

This scale is normally played over V chords and II-V progressions. Try it out over a II-V-I
progression, use the descending bop scale played as eighth notes starting on II and
ending with the tonic on I. You’ll be amazed at how well it lays over the chord changes.

The next bop scale to consider is the Bebop Dorian Scale. In this scale we take the
normal Dorian mode and add a chromatic passing tone between the third and fourth
notes of the scale. The following figure shows the G-Dorian Bop scale.

Figure 4: G Bebop Dorian

This scale can also be used over II-V progressions and works well over the II chord.
You’ll notice that we added the same chromatic passing tone in the G-Dorian Bop scale
as we did in the C-Dominant Bop scale – the B natural. This is because G-Dorian and
C-Dominant are both modes from the key of F major, so it makes sense that we would
be adding the same chromatic passing tone. Unfortunately that rule does not apply for
our next scale – the Major Bebop scale. In the Major Bop scale, built off the Ionian
mode form, we add the chromatic passing tone between the fifth and sixth notes.
Therefore an F Major Bop scale would look like the following:
 Figure 5: F Bebop Major

The same chromatic passing tone is used in the Melodic Minor Bebop scale. Therefore
the F Melodic Minor Bop scale would be:

Figure 6: F Bebop Melodic Minor

Now that you’ve got the Bebop scale concept under your belt, along with four different
bop scale forms, it’s time to listen for them in recordings and try them out in your own
soloing!