Mastering the Major Bebop Scale Created by Steve Neff
Note: Please do not distribute distribute this book. Respect the copyright laws. If someone is interested interested in the whole book please direct them to my site at www.ne! music.com music.com . I appreciate it. Steve Copyright 2009
www.neffmusic.com
Mastering the Major Bebop Scale Created by Steve Neff
Note: Please do not distribute distribute this book. Respect the copyright laws. If someone is interested interested in the whole book please direct them to my site at www.ne! music.com music.com . I appreciate it. Steve Copyright 2009
www.neffmusic.com
Mastering the Major Bebop Scale
The Major Bebop Scale is a scale that can be used over a major tonality or chord. It is similar to the major scale but it also has has a note between the 5th and 6th degrees of the major scale. In the above example you can see that there is a D# between D and E. By adding this note to the major scale you create a scale that has the consonant notes of a major tonality on the downbeats. In the example above you will notice that the downbeats are are G,B,D and E (the root, 3rd, 5th 5th and 6th of a major chord) chord) These are great notes to land on while playing playing over the major sound. You will also notice that if you start on the root, 3rd, 5th or 6th and play the scale in any direction and do not skip notes the downbeats will always be those strong major tonality tonality notes of the root, 3rd, 5th and 6th. By playing these notes on the downbeats you are creating a firm foundation to creating jazz lines that sound great with the corresponding major chords. Each chapter in in this book deals with a specific aspect aspect of the major bebop scale. I have written these in the order in which you should practice them and integrate them into your playing.
Table Of Contents Major Bebop Scale Starter Exercises 4 In this chapter I start you out with some basic exercises to practice in all 12 keys. These exercises are to get you accustomed to the scale and to build a familiarity with it so that you do not have to think about it as you play through them in any key. This chapter is very important to building a strong foundation so that later when you are adding the links and shapes to the lines you will have this knowledge to build off of.
Major Bebop Scale Variations 16 In this chapter I show you some ways that you can practice varying your bebop lines. The lines in this book were written in straight eighth notes with little variation in rhythm. I did this so that as you practice the lines you can create your own rhythms in your lines that will be your own.
Major Bebop Scale Line Shapes 19 In this chapter, we continue to work on the major bebop scale by using line shapes. I have written out these shapes in all 12 keys so that you can use them as a reference if needed but the goal of this section is to play a shape and then be able to run it through all 12 keys.
Major Bebop Scale Links 55 In this last section of the book, I take you through what I think is the most exciting part of this method and that is adding the links to your lines. Links are small ideas or licks that you can add to the major bebop scale to create lines that are more interesting and hip sounding. These are licks and ideas that are common in the bebop vocabulary. I suggest just adding one link at a time and inserting it into your lines. As you add more and more links in every key you will have more and more options for your improvisations.
*On page 63 of the G Major Bebop Links there is a link (#26) that is not transposed into the other keys in the book. This is a great link that I use all the time but I did not realize that I had forgotten it until the end of writing this book. I added it on page 63 so you could have it also. It is too great sounding to leave out.
