Easy Guitar Scales and Modes Your stress free guide to learning guitar scales and modes.
Published By: mattwarnockguitar.com Copyright © 2017 Matt Warnock The moral right of this author has been asserted.
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Table of Contents Get Your Audio Files Glossary of Terms How to Use This eBook Introduction to Guitar Scales Easy Guitar Scale System Scales vs. Modes Minor Pentatonic/Blues Scales Major Pentatonic/Blues Scales Major Scale Practice Guide Major Scale Dorian Mode Phrygian Mode Lydian Mode Mixolydian Mode Aeolian Mode Locrian Mode Melodic Minor Practice Guide Melodic Minor Scale Melodic Minor Mode 2 Lydian Augmented Scale Lydian Dominant Scale Melodic Minor Mode 5 Melodic Minor Mode 6 Altered Scale Other Common Scales Harmonic Minor Scale Phrygian Dominant Harmonic Major Scale Harmonic Major Mode 5
Symmetrical Scales Whole Tone Scale Whole Half Diminished Scale Half Whole Diminished Scale About the Author
Get Your Audio Files Welcome to Easy Guitar Scales and Modes, great to have you here! The audio examples and backing tracks for this book are available to download from http://mattwarnockguitar.com/scales-audio. I recommend that you download the mp3 files to your computer first, and then drag them to your phone, tablet, or other device from there. If you don’t have a computer, no worries, just email me at my contact page and I’ll be glad to sort out the audio files for you. As well, feel free to send me an email on my contact page if you have any questions about the material in this book. I’m glad to help you out any way I can with your journey to learning guitar scales. Have fun with this book. Now, on to learning easy guitar scales and modes!
Cheers, Matt
Glossary of Terms Music has a language all its own. To help you understand the material in this book, here are common musical terms and definitions.
Fingering – Term used to describe a scale shape on the fretboard. Half Steps – One fret on the guitar, the distance between two chromatic notes, C-C# for example. Improvisation – Using musical devices such as scales and modes to create music in the moment without predetermined ideas. Interval – The distance between two notes, C-D, A-Bb, F-D, for example. Mode – A scale-type device that is built by playing a parent scale from any note besides the tonic note. Scale – A musical device that contains 5 or more notes, in this eBook, and outlines a particular sound such as maj7, m7, m7b5, etc. String Set – A collection of strings that are used when playing a scale or mode, such as 654, 5432, or 54321. Symmetrical Scales – Scales that are built by running one or a combination of the same interval, such as whole steps or half steps. Tonic – The main chord of a key, for example in C the tonic chord is Cmaj7. Whole Steps – Two frets on the guitar, the distance between three chromatic notes, C-D for example.
How to Use This eBook Before diving into this eBook, here is a brief outline of what’s contained in this volume and how to effectively learn this material. The main goal of this material is to teach you essential and commonly used scales and modes in the quickest and easiest way possible. To do this, the fingerings are presented in one and two-octave positions within an easy to learn system, explained in the next few chapters. As well, at the start of each section (major modes, melodic minor modes, and other scales), there’s a quick guide to learning those fingerings. This information teaches you the absolute quickest way to learn the scales/modes in that section. But, that quick route isn’t for everyone. So, if you read the intro text in a section and it doesn’t click with you, not to worry. Continue to each individual mode in that section and learn the shapes that way. This eBook is written to give you a very quick formula for every mode group, as well as a quick formula for each individual scale/mode. Whatever gets those shapes under your fingers is the best way to go. Explore both in your studies and then go with what works best for you at this stage in your musical development. As well, there’s information for each scale/mode included above those fingerings to teach you how each mode/scale is built and used.
Here are those terms and what they mean so you can quickly absorb that information when you encounter it with each scale/mode.
Scale and Mode Elements Defined Interval Pattern – Intervals used to build this scale. Used Over – Common chords you can solo over with this scale. Characteristic Note – Note that makes this mode sound unique. Genres – Common genres that use this mode.
This tells you the intervals, how to solo with those notes, what makes those notes sound unique, and what genres use that mode/scale. Everything you need to quickly understand the background for that scale/mode and how to use it in your playing. But, while this information is helpful, the main goal of this eBook is to teach you the easiest way to learn scale/mode fingerings on guitar. Because that’s the main goal, most of the material in this eBook is aimed at achieving that objective in your playing. So, when working on this material, keep in mind that this is a scale fingering system, rather than an improvisational guide. Now that you know the goals of this eBook, you can learn more about scales and modes and how they’re used in modern music.
Introduction to Scales and Modes When learning how to solo on guitar, the first items you encounter are scales and modes. Whether it’s the pentatonic scale, or Mixolydian mode, these melodic devices are essential for learning the fretboard and improvising. But, what exactly are guitar scales? Guitar scales are groups of notes that outline a specific key center, mode, or chord color. Scales function in a similar way to arpeggios, but they include notes beyond chord tones, while arpeggios are built with only chord tones. Here’s an example of a C major scale and Cmaj7 arpeggio to see how they both contain similar notes, but the arpeggio is more spread out. This is because arpeggios use only chord tones and scales use all the notes possible in that given key or mode.
Audio Example 1
Now that you know what guitar scales are, look into the three types of scales that are covered in this eBook.
Pentatonic and Blues Scales The first groups of scales explored in this eBook are pentatonic and blues scales. These scales don’t produce modes, and contain larger intervals than the other scales covered in this eBook. Here’s an example of an A minor pentatonic scale. Notice that there are a number of m3rd intervals, more than you see in any other scale or mode in this eBook.
Audio Example 2
Since they have larger skips, and are more versatile when soloing than other scales, these are the scales guitarists often learn first. Because of this, these scales are covered first in detail at the start of this eBook.
Mode Producing Scales The second group of scales in this eBook is divided into two sections, parent scales and modes. Parent scales are 7-note scales, such as major, melodic minor, and harmonic minor, that produce modes. Modes are scales that are built by playing parent scales from notes other than the tonic note. An example of a parent scale is the G major scale below.
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If you were to play this same scale, G major, from the note A, you have the same notes, but you create the mode A Dorian. If you play the same scale, G major, from the note B, you create the mode B Phrygian. Each time you start the parent scale on a different note, you create a new interval pattern, and therefore a new mode. As you work your way through this eBook, and read elsewhere, the terms mode and scale are often interchangeable.
They have different meanings, as you just learned, but in casual conversation they can often be interchangeable. An example of this is the 3rd mode of melodic minor also being called the Lydian augmented scale. It’s technically a mode, but it’s also called a scale in conversation. Just know that even though there are very strict definitions of scales and modes, those terms aren’t always used that strictly in conversations.
Symmetrical Scales As well as learning scales that produce modes, and pentatonic/blues scales, you learn symmetrical scales in this eBook. Symmetrical scales use a symmetrical interval pattern, and don’t produce modes like major and melodic minor scales do, for example. An example of a symmetrical scale is the diminished scale, which you can see below. Notice that this scale is built by alternating whole and half steps, which is how this scale gets it’s name, the whole half diminished scale. Because it contains 8 notes, you use two letter names twice, Ab and A in this case, which you don’t do with non-symmetrical scales. Symmetrical shapes are covered in the final section of this eBook in more detail.
Audio Example 4
Now that you know the three types of guitar scales covered in this eBook, learn about the easy guitar system in the next section.
Easy Guitar Scale System Learning scales on guitar is fun, gives you material to solo with, and helps you understand the fretboard. But, it can also be time consuming, frustrating, and prevent you from making music as you spend time memorizing shapes and not soloing. This is where the easy guitar scale system helps you become more efficient and effective in your scale practice routine. Before looking at the easy guitar scale system, take a look at a typical major scale and how it’s laid out on the fretboard. Here’s one of the most common two-octave, position shapes for the G major scale. On it’s own it’s not a bad scale shape to learn. The fingering makes sense, and it covers every string. But, when you take it to other positions the frustration begins.
Audio Example 5
Normally, once you learn a two-octave scale shape you take it to a second position on the guitar.
This is where that system falls apart, you have to learn a whole new fingering to move that scale around the neck. The work you’ve done up to this point is there, but you have to add a new fingering, which may or may not be intuitive. Here’s how that same G major scale looks from the 5th string, it’s somewhat similar to the previous shape, but not that similar.
Audio Example 6
The easy guitar scale system prevents you from wasting time learning unrelated shapes when taking scales around the fretboard. Rather than use big, two-octave shapes right away, that don’t have set fingerings, this eBook start with one-octave shapes. One-octave scales are easy to learn, quick to memorize, and can be combined to form two-octave shapes without learning anything new. Here’s an example of a G major one-octave scale on the 6th string. The fingering is written below each note in the notation, and above each note in the tab for easy reference.
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Now, here’s that same G major scale on the 5th-string root note. Notice that the fretting-hand fingering is the same, 24-124-134. Because of this, if you know a major scale on the 6th string, you already now it on the 5th string, and later the 4th string. Pretty easy right? The only hiccup you encounter with this fingering system is with the tuning of the 2nd string. But, that tuning is dealt with as you encounter it throughout the eBook.
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Once you learn the four, one-octave fingerings, you combine them to form twooctave scales. This prevents you from having to learn new shapes when you want to learn and use longer scales on the guitar. Here’s an example of the 6th and 4th-string one-octave G major scales combined to form a two-octave G major fingering.
Audio Example 9
As you can see, you don’t have to learn anything new to create this longer scale; you just combine two shapes you already know. This saves time and energy in the practice room and takes you from memorizing shapes to soloing faster in your playing. To recap this system, here are the main points to keep in mind. 1. One-octave shapes are quick and easy to learn. 2. These shapes use the same, or similar, fingering on each string set. 3. These shapes are easily combined to form two-octave scales.
Scales vs. Modes Though it was touched upon in a previous section, it’s worth exploring the difference between scales and modes a bit further. First, look at a C major scale, written with the whole and half steps between each note as a refresher from previous material. When creating this scale, you build the intervals R-2-3-4-5-6-7, as well as the interval structure WWHWWWH.
Audio Example 10
Now that you have the parent scale, C major in this case, you can use that scale to build modes. Here’s how a mode is built, you take the major scale above and play it from the 2nd note, in this case playing C major from D to D. When doing so, you change the interval structure of the notes, creating a new sound, which you call Dorian. Here are the notes for C major and D Dorian to compare; they’re the same, just different order. C major = C D E F G A B
D Dorian = D E F G A B C The real difference is the intervals of those two melodic devices. C major = R 2 3 4 5 6 7 D Dorian = R 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 As you can see, when playing C major from D to D, you create b3 and b7 intervals, giving Dorian a minor sound, compared to the major scale. Here’s how those two look on the staff.
Audio Example 11
To recap, scales and modes are used in a similar way when soloing, to outline chords and key centers. Modes contain the same notes as their parent scale, but have a different interval pattern. Because of this, modes create new sounds to explore in your solos compared to the parent scale they’re derived from.
Minor Pentatonic/Blues Scales The first scales in this eBook are the first scales that most guitarists learn, the minor pentatonic and minor blues scale. Because they’re closely related, they’re written as one scale in the fingerings below. To play the minor pentatonic scale, leave out the note in blue. Then, to play the minor blues scale, play all the notes written in the tab. As the minor blues scale is the minor pentatonic scale with the b5 interval added it’s good to see them related on the fretboard. This allows you to easily move between these essential sounds in your solos, riffs, and songwriting. If you’ve learned these scales in the past, you probably checked out the 5 “box patterns” that are usually taught for these scales. If so, these shapes are a good introduction to the scale system used in this book, which as you learned is based on one-octave shapes. Over time, you’ll mix the boxes you learned with these fingerings in your playing, which is totally fine. But for now, work on this new fingering system as it sets you up to study the longer, modal scales in the rest of this eBook. If you’re new to these scales, great, they’re the best place to start when beginning with this scale fingering system in the practice room.
Minor Pentatonic and Minor Blues Scale Elements
Interval Pattern – R-b3-4-5-b7 and R-b3-4-b5-5-b7 Used Over – Any chord (major, minor, maj7, 7, m7, m7b5, etc.) Characteristic Note – b5 (blues note) Genres – All - Blues, Rock, Jazz, Funk, Soul, etc.
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Major Pentatonic/Blues Scales Besides the minor pentatonic and blues scales, guitarists often learn major pentatonic and blues scales when studying improvisation. Below are the one and two-octave fingerings for major pentatonic and major blues scales. Since they’re so closely related, they’re written on top of each other. To play the major pentatonic scale, avoid the note written in blue. Then, to play the major blues scale, play all of the notes written in the tab, including the blue note. The major blues scale is built by adding a b3 interval to the major pentatonic scale, which you can see below. If you learned the “box patterns” for these scales already, these fingerings are a companion to those shapes. If you’re new to these scales, great, they push you further into the study of the fingering system used in this eBook. Notice that the 3rd-string fingering is different from the rest; it begins on the first finger rather than the second finger. This is because the 2nd string is tuned differently, so major based modes, modes with a major 3rd, have a different fingering on the 3rd string. This is the first example of this fingering in this eBook, and you see it come back for every other major-based mode going forward.
Major Pentatonic and Major Blues Scale Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-3-5-6 and R-2-b3-3-5-6 Used Over – Major, maj7, maj6, maj9, 7, 9, and 13 Characteristic Note – b3 (blues note) Genres – Many, including Blues, Rock, Country, and Jazz
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Major Scale Practice Guide When practicing modes of the major scale, learn them in the order they appear in the scale, Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, etc. Then, when you’ve learned them all, bring them together in your studies and practice them from the “brightest” to “darkest” sounding modes. When doing so, you begin with Lydian and alter one note at a time to form all 7 major modes. This helps you see how every mode relates to the other major modes on the fretboard. And, it gets you away from only thinking of modes in the order they appear in the key, which can cause confusion for some players. The “brightest” mode is Lydian, because it has the most #’s in the key of C, and the “darkest” mode is Locrian, because it has the most b’s. Here’s the order to practice all major modes when you have them under your fingers. These examples use a single one-octave fingering for each mode. After you get the hang of the exercise work the other fingerings in the same way. The note in red is the note that’s altered from the previous mode to form the current mode. For example, when you play Lydian, you lower the 4th note by one fret to build Ionian.
Then, you lower the 7th of Ionian to form Mixolydian, and so forth.
Audio Example 24 - Lydian
Audio Example 25 - Ionian
Audio Example 26 - Mixolydian
Audio Example 27 - Dorian
Audio Example 28 - Aeolian
Audio Example 29 - Phrygian
Audio Example 30 - Locrian
Major Scale The Ionian mode, otherwise known as the major scale, is the first mode in the major scale system. When learning this scale, you use the fingerings 24/124/134, with the exception of the 3rd-string root scale. Because the B string is tuned differently, you begin that fingering with your 13 fingers. You do this in both the one-octave shape, and the two-octave combined shape for this mode. As with all other major-based modes, modes with a major 3rd interval, the 3rdstring fingering is altered compared to the other fingerings. The major scale introduces you to this fingering in a mode context, which prepares you to learn similar modes the same way.
Major Scale Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-3-4-5-6-7 Used Over – Major, maj7, maj6, and maj9 Characteristic Note – 4th Genres – Many including Rock, Classical, Jazz, Pop, etc.
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Dorian Mode The first minor mode in the major system, Dorian, is found in many musical styles and is essential learning for any improvising guitarist. The fingering pattern for Dorian is 134/13/124, and because it’s a minor based mode, you don’t change the fingering on the 3rd string. Being the second mode of the major scale, a C Dorian mode has the same notes as the Bb major scale, just running from C to C. If that’s confusing, not to worry, just know that Dorian is used to solo over minor family chords when you want a brighter sound than Aeolian. There’s also a fingering alteration when you get to the 3rd-string root, because of the tuning of the B string. This doesn’t happen in all minor-based modes, as it does with major-based modes, so just be aware of it when working on Dorian. If you prefer, you can use the fingering 134/13/124 on the 3rd-string fingering to keep things unified. Try both and see which one you prefer then go forward from there.
Dorian Mode Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-b3-4-5-6-b7 Used Over – Minor, m7, m6, m9, and m11 Characteristic Note – 6th Genres – Jazz, Fusion, Classical, and Rock
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Phrygian Mode Phrygian, the 3rd mode of the major system is a bit of a chameleon mode as it fits over both m7 and 7th chords in your solos. When used over m7 chords, you bring a Flamenco-influenced sound to your lines, as the b2 builds tension in your lines. Then, you can use the same scale over 7th chords, where you create a 7sus4alt sound. Jazzers like John Coltrane explored Phrygian over 7th chords in their solos to great effect. On the other side, players like Al Di Meola and Paco De Lucia used Phrygian over m7 chords to build memorable lines. Try both approaches out and see what you think. You may like both and use both in your solos, or you may prefer one over the other, whatever works for your ears is cool. With the 4th-string fingering, there’s an alteration because of the B string. There, you use 2-4 fingers on the 2nd string, compared to 1-3 on the other string sets. If you prefer to keep things unified, you can use your 1-3 fingers for those notes no problem. Try both and see what you think.
Phrygian Mode Elements Interval Pattern – R-b2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 Used Over – m7 and 7th chords Characteristic Note – b2 Genres – Flamenco, Jazz, Rock, and Classical
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Lydian Mode Used as a “brighter” option that Ionian over major-based chords, Lydian’s #4 interval creates a cool sound to explore in your solos. While the #4 sounds unique compared to Ionian, it creates tension that needs to be addressed in your solos. Experiment with that note to see how you want to deal with it, and more importantly, experiment with resolving that tension in your lines. Lastly, because it has a major 3rd, the 3rd-string position begins on your first finger, compared to your second finger with the other string sets.
Lydian Mode Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-3-#4-5-6-7 Used Over – Major, maj7, maj6, maj9, and maj7#11 Characteristic Note – #4 Genres – Jazz, Rock, Fusion, and Classical
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Mixolydian Mode The third and final major-based mode in the major system, Mixolydian is a favorite mode of country, rock, and jazz guitarists. When mixed with the blues scales, both major and minor, Mixolydian creates interesting and engaging lines over major and 7th chords. Again, because it has a major 3rd interval, the 3rd-string position begins with your index finger, compared to your middle finger elsewhere.
Mixolydian Mode Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-3-4-5-6-b7 Used Over – Major, 7th, 9th, and 13th Characteristic Note – b7 Genres – Country, Rock, Blues, Classical, and Jazz
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Aeolian Mode Known as the natural minor or relative minor scale, Aeolian is a favorite minor mode for rock, metal, and pop guitarists. With a darker sound compared to Dorian, Aeolian sometimes makes an appearance in jazz, but not as much as in other genres. Because of the 2nd-string tuning, the 4th-string root shape uses a different fingering for the top-2 notes, 24 compared to 13. If you want to keep the fingerings unified, you can use 13 on those top notes no problem. Try both fingerings out and go with what feels most comfortable to you.
Aeolian Mode Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 Used Over – Minor, m7, m9, and m11 Characteristic Note – b6 Genres – Rock, Blues, Classical, Pop, and Jazz
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Locrian Mode The final major mode, Locrian, is found mostly in jazz and fusion music, but it can be applied elsewhere as well. Because it’s used over m7b5 and m11b5 chords, you won’t see it often in pop or rock music. But, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth studying, as this mode will get you out of a tight spot when you do see those chords in a song. As was the case with the other minor-based modes, the 4th-string fingering is altered for the last two notes to accommodate the 2nd string. Try the fingering below, and then switch it up to 1-3 fingers if you aren’t comfortable with 2-4. Then, go forward with the one that feels best to you.
Locrian Mode Elements Interval Pattern – R-b2-b3-4-b5-b6-b7 Used Over – m7b5 and m11b5 chords Characteristic Note – b5 Genres – Jazz, Fusion, and Classical
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Melodic Minor Practice Guide As you move from major modes to the melodic minor family, the easiest way to learn these new modes is to compare them to the 7 major modes. When doing so, you take all 7 major modes, lower one now in each mode, and you have all 7 melodic minor modes on the guitar. Below you learn all 7 melodic minor modes, but you can also build them by altering notes in major modes you already know. Here’s how you do that, by playing a major mode fingering, such as Ionian, and then lowering one note by one fret, the 3rd in this case. Here are all 7 major modes with their melodic minor counterparts so you can see how this fingering system works. The note in red is the note that’s altered from a major mode to form each melodic minor mode. If you prefer this method of learning melodic minor scales, take each major mode fingering and lower these notes to build the new fingerings. But, if you don’t prefer this method, not to worry, skip to the melodic minor mode sections below to learn those fingerings separately. As a quick reference, here are the notes that you lower in each major mode to form the relative melodic minor mode on guitar. Ionian – lower 3rd to form melodic minor Dorian – lower 2nd to form melodic minor mode 2 Phrygian – lower root to form Lydian augmented scale Lydian – lower 7th to form Lydian dominant scale Mixolydian – lower 6th to form melodic minor mode 5 Aeolian – lower 5th to form melodic minor mode 6
Locrian – lower 4th to form the altered scale
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Melodic Minor Scale The first melodic minor mode uses the same fingering no matter what string set you’re on. This is different from the major modes, which had fingering changes because of the 2nd-string tuning. Because the fingerings are always the same, melodic minor can be easier to learn and memorize then the major modes you already know. This mode can be used to solo over minor family chords, but it creates tension with the major 7th interval. When soloing with melodic minor, you need to address the maj7 in your lines, resolving it so it sounds hip and not like a mistake in your playing.
Melodic Minor Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-b3-4-5-6-7 Used Over – Minor, m6, and mMaj7 Characteristic Note – 7 Genres – Jazz, Fusion, and Classical
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Melodic Minor Mode 2 The second mode of melodic minor is a rarely used mode, but one that’s worth learning to cover the fretboard when soloing with melodic minor. Again, you use the same fingerings for every shape, as compared to the major scale modes you learned earlier. Though this mode has a m3rd interval, it’s normally used to solo over dominant 7th chords, bringing a 7sus4alt sound to your phrases. While you might not use this mode that often, it’s worth checking out to see how you can bring it into your playing.
Melodic Minor Mode 2 Elements Interval Pattern – R-b2-b3-4-5-6-b7 Used Over – 7sus, 13sus, 7b9sus, and 13b9sus Characteristic Note – 6 (13) Genres – Jazz and Fusion
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Lydian Augmented Scale The third mode of melodic minor is also known as the Lydian augmented scale, as it’s like Lydian with a #5 interval. There are two fingering items to look at when learning this mode. The first, because it’s a major-based mode, you change the fingering on the 3rdstring root due to the tuning of the 2nd string. Then, you use 1-2-4 on the second string of each one-octave shape, but you put space between each note, which you haven’t done before. This creates a stretch that you have to navigate when learning this mode on the fretboard. Because of this stretch, begin by playing this mode higher up the fretboard, where the frets are closer, and mode down from there. Eventually you’ll play the stretches with ease in the lower frets by approaching this mode in this manner.
Lydian Augmented Scale Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-3-#4-#5-6-7 Used Over – Maj7, Maj7#11, and Maj7#5 Characteristic Note – #5 Genres – Jazz and Fusion
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Lydian Dominant Scale The most popular melodic minor mode, besides the melodic minor scale itself, Lydian dominant is used over 7th chords to create the 7#11 sound. Again, it’s got a major 3rd interval; therefore you change the fingering for the 3rd-string shape due to the tuning of the 2nd string. Because this scale is so often used in jazz and fusion, if you play those genres then this mode is essential learning. Even if you play other genres, this mode appears so often that it’s worth learning for any improvising guitarist.
Lydian Dominant Scale Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-3-#4-5-6-b7 Used Over – 7th, 9th, 13th, and 7#11 Characteristic Note – #4 Genres – Jazz, Fusion, and Classical
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Melodic Minor Mode 5 The 5th mode is another rare mode, compared to other melodic minor sounds, that appears mostly in jazz and fusion music. Because it has a major 3rd, you change the fingering when playing the 3rd-string root position, as with any major-based mode. As well, the 3rd string in any one-octave shape uses the spread 1-2-4 fingering you saw with the 3rd mode of melodic minor. Again, start higher up the fretboard if that stretch is too much for your hands at this point in your development. Then, work down the fretboard towards the nut as you build this scale and your dexterity/flexibility on the guitar at the same time.
Melodic Minor Mode 5 Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-3-4-5-b6-b7 Used Over – 7th, 9th, 7b13, and 9b13 Characteristic Note – b6 Genres – Jazz and Fusion
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Melodic Minor Mode 6 The 6th mode of melodic minor is used to solo over half-diminished based chords, which is why it’s mostly used in jazz and fusion. Because it’s a minor-based mode, it has a m3rd, you don’t have to alter the fingerings for any of the string sets with this mode. Though you probably won’t use this mode often, it’s worth exploring to see how it can fit into your improvisational palette.
Melodic Minor Mode 6 Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-b3-4-b5-b6-b7 Used Over – m7b5, m11b5, and m9b5 Characteristic Note – 2 Genres – Jazz and Fusion
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Altered Scale The final melodic minor mode is also one of the most popular. The altered scale, which is the most common name for this mode, is used to create tension over dominant family chords. Because this mode uses so much tension, b9-#9-b5-#5, you need to address those sounds in your lines. You don’t have to always resolve all of those tension notes, but you need to be aware of how they sound when applied to different 7th chords. With this mode, you don’t change the shapes on the 3rd string, but there is a big stretch with the 2nd string of each shape. Though this stretch is tough to learn, by working melodic minor modes you encounter this stretch several times. This helps get these modes under your fingers and works on that large stretch at the same time.
Altered Scale Elements Interval Pattern – R-b2-b3-3(b4)-b5-b6-b7 Used Over – 7th, 7alt, 7b9, 7#9, 7b5, and 7#5 Characteristic Note – 3 Genres – Jazz and Fusion
Audio Example 116
Audio Example 117
Audio Example 118
Audio Example 119
Audio Example 120
Audio Example 121
Other Common Scales The next group of scales and modes come from harmonic minor and harmonic major, two lesser-used but important scale systems. Used mostly in jazz and fusion, and classical music to a certain extent, these devices add new colors to your minor, major, and dominant solos. Though you might not use these scales and modes as much as major and melodic minor, explore them to see where they lead you in your playing. You never know when a new melodic device will spur your creativity when writing songs or soloing over common chords and progressions. Even if you never use these sounds in your playing, exposing your ears to new scales and modes is always a good idea in the practice room. So, check out these other modes, have fun with them, and enjoy exploring the new avenues they lead you down in your playing.
Harmonic Minor Scale Though there are 7 modes of the harmonic minor scale, only a few of them are commonly used in modern music. Because of this, you focus your attention on two of those modes in this eBook, beginning with the first mode of the harmonic minor scale. This mode uses the same fingering for each string set, except the 4th-string root, where you use 3-4 on top rather than 2-3. Though other modes allowed you to experiment with multiple fingerings, this is the only fingering that makes sense on that string set.
Harmonic Minor Scale Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-b3-4-5-b6-7 Used Over – Minor, mMaj7, and m7b6 Characteristic Note – 7 Genres – Jazz, Classical, Metal, Rock, and Fusion
Audio Example 122
Audio Example 123
Audio Example 124
Audio Example 125
Audio Example 126
Audio Example 127
Phrygian Dominant The second, and last, harmonic minor mode in this eBook is the 5th mode, otherwise known as the Phrygian dominant scale. Because it’s a major-based mode, with a major 3rd interval, you need to start the 3rd-string position with your index finger. Other than that, every position uses the same fingering. Used as and alternative sound to the altered scale, Phrygian dominant focuses on the b9 and b13 intervals over dominant 7th chords. Because of this, it’s often used as an introduction to altered notes as it has less tension than the fully altered scale.
Phrygian Dominant Scale Elements Interval Pattern – R-b2-3-4-5-b6-b7 Used Over – 7th, 7alt, 7b9, 7b13, and 7b9,b13 Characteristic Note – b6 Genres – Jazz and Fusion
Audio Example 128
Audio Example 129
Audio Example 130
Audio Example 131
Audio Example 132
Audio Example 133
Harmonic Major Scale Not the most commonly used scale; the harmonic major scale is built by taking a major scale and lowering the 6th note by one fret. This makes the first half of the scale look like Ionian, while the second half looks like harmonic minor, hence the name. Because the first half of the scale is the same as the major scale, you adjust the fingering on the 3rd-string position. While you might not use this scale often, it’s can be a strong technique builder, as you work on the stretch between notes 6 and 7.
Harmonic Major Scale Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-3-4-5-b6-7 Used Over – Maj7, Maj7#5, and Maj9 Characteristic Note – b6 Genres – Jazz and Fusion
Audio Example 134
Audio Example 135
Audio Example 136
Audio Example 137
Audio Example 138
Audio Example 139
Harmonic Major Mode 5 Though the first mode of harmonic major isn’t used that often, the fifth mode is used in jazz and fusion solos. When doing so, you create a 13b9 sound over a dominant 7th chord, highlighting only one altered note in the process. Because there’s a major 3rd interval, you need to adjust your fingering on the 3rd-string set. Experiment with this sound in your solos as you explore it as an alternative to Phrygian dominant and the altered scale.
Harmonic Major Mode 5 Elements Interval Pattern – R-b2-3-4-5-6-b7 Used Over – 7th, 7b9, and 13b9 Characteristic Note – b2 Genres – Jazz and Fusion
Audio Example 140
Audio Example 141
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Audio Example 144
Audio Example 145
Symmetrical Scales The final group of scales in this eBook contains symmetrical scales, scales that have symmetrical interval patterns. Symmetrical scales are built with one common interval between each note, like the whole tone scale. They can also be built by alternating two common intervals between each note, such as the two diminished scales. Because they have symmetrical intervals, these scales have odd numbers of notes compared to the other scales and modes in this eBook. Though they have extra notes, and are built with a different interval system than other scales, they sound great in your solos nonetheless. Experiment with these symmetrical scales in your practicing and soloing to find how they fit into your improvisational concepts. They might not be your cup of tea right now, but they add new sounds to your solos and open your ears to new soloing possibilities on guitar.
Whole Tone Scale One of the most popular symmetrical scales, the whole tone scale is built by playing whole tones between each note in the scale, hence the name. When doing so, you create a six-note scale that outlines a 7#11#5 sound in your solos. As well, because there are six notes in a whole tone scale, there are only two whole tone scales to learn, C and C#. Because the scale is symmetrical, C-D-E-F#-G#-A# whole tone scales all contain the same notes. The same for C#-D#-F-G-A-B whole tone scales. This makes it one of the easiest, though toughest to make musical, scales you learn on guitar. Lastly, as it has a major 3rd interval, you need to adjust the fingering on the 3rdstring set position to accommodate for the 2nd-string tuning.
Whole Tone Scale Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-3-#4-#5-b7 Used Over – 7th, 7#11, 9, 7#5, and 9#5 Characteristic Note – #5 Genres – Jazz, Classical, and Fusion
Audio Example 146
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Audio Example 148
Audio Example 149
Audio Example 150
Audio Example 151
Whole Half Diminished Scale The first of two diminished scales is built by alternating whole and half steps from root to root, hence the name of the scale. This scale is also called the fully diminished scale, as it’s used to solo over dim7 chords when improvising. Because it alternates whole and half steps, there are 8 notes in the scale, compared to 6 with whole tone and 7 with other common scales. As well, there are only 3 whole half diminished scales to learn, as C-Eb-Gb-A diminished scales all share the same notes. The same is true for C#-E-G-Bb and D-F-Ab-B whole half diminished scales, which is similar to how whole tone is dealt with on guitar.
Whole Half Diminished Scale Elements Interval Pattern – R-2-b3-4-b5-b6-6-7 Used Over – Dim7 and DimMaj7 Characteristic Note – 7 Genres – Jazz, Classical, Rock, and Fusion
Audio Example 152
Audio Example 153
Audio Example 154
Audio Example 155
Audio Example 156
Audio Example 157
Half Whole Diminished Scale The final symmetrical scale is the half whole diminished scale, which alternates half and whole steps, hence the name. This scale is also called the dominant diminished scale, as it’s used to solo over 7th chords where you create a 13#11b9 sound in your lines. It also has 8 notes, as did the whole half diminished scale. Again, because this scale is based on m3rd intervals, a half step plus a whole step is a m3rd, there are only 3 half whole diminished scales. C-Eb-Gb-A all share the same notes, as do the C#-E-G-Bb and D-F-Ab-B half whole diminished scales. There’s no alteration in the fingerings for this scale, you use the same finger groupings for every string set of half whole diminished.
Half Whole Diminished Scale Elements Interval Pattern – R-b2-b3-3-#4-5-6-b7 Used Over – 7b9, 13b9, and 7#11 Characteristic Note – 6 Genres – Jazz, Classical, and Fusion
Audio Example 158
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Audio Example 163
Congrats, you’ve made it through the Easy Guitar Scales eBook! Not an easy accomplishment as you’ve discovered. Thanks for working with me throughout this eBook. If you have any questions, please visit the Play Jazz Guitar Facebook group and post any questions you have for a fast response.
About the Author I grew up listening to classic rock and blues, and I still love those styles of music. But, it’s soloing I really love, and that’s what drew me to jazz. My love of jazz has taken me from small town Canada around the globe. I studied at three of the top jazz programs in the world, starting with McGill University, then Western Michigan, and finishing with a Doctorate from the University of Illinois (UIUC). I’ve taught over 6000 private jazz guitar lessons, and my students range from beginners, to Professors at NYU, and everything in between. I’ve also taught jazz guitar, popular music, and music business at universities in Canada, the US, the UK, Brazil, and Nepal. I’ve played over 2500 gigs in 8 countries and shared the stage with Randy Brecker, Stefon Harris, and Slide Hampton. Some of my favorite gigs were at:
Lincoln Center International Association for Jazz Education Conference NuJazz Festival (Brazil) Savassi Jazz Festival (Brazil) International Jazz Day Festival (Nepal)
Jazz has been in my life for 20 years, and every day I’m glad I found this great music. Because of this, I want to share this love of jazz and guitar with you. You never know where it’ll lead you.
For the best free jazz guitar lessons on the web, visit mattwarnockguitar.com
