The Dorian Scale for Jazz Improvisation

Understanding the Dorian Scale Dorian is the 2nd mode of the major scale. So if we start any major scale on the 2nd degree we get a dorian scale. Step 1 - We are going to play the major scale and then the related dorian scale.  A useful variation of this step is to understand...

The Major Scale (Ionian) for Jazz Improvisation

The Major Scale (Ionian) The major scale serves as our "source scale," the point of reference for its related modes. We will delve into the intricacies of this scale, explore its unique properties, and discover its role in improvisational music. The Concept of Source Scales In the realm of musical modes, the Ionian scale takes...

How to use the Modes of The Harmonic Minor Scale

Introduction The harmonic minor is one of the three main source scales in music. This is a seven note minor scale with a b3, a b6 and a natural 7th. The related modes group from this scale offer quite a few interesting textures, sometimes overlooked by many jazz beginners. Here's a taste of what this group...

The Universal Encyclopedia of Scales by mDecks Music

The Universal Encyclopedia of Scales is a fully interactive PDF containing all 2048 scales in music, organized over the circle of fifths, with 2600+ pages of information. The encyclopedia includes chapters on scale theory, several master indexes by mode count and note count, source scales, symmetrical scales, and hexatonic bi-triadic scales. Each scale has its...

Playing Scales vs. Playing Out of Scales

I've been asked many times "Why do I need to learn and practice scales?" or "Why do I need to understand chords-scales and tonal harmony?" Some other people complain about the chord-scale theory, saying that they don't want to play scales, meaning they wish to play in the jazz vocabulary, licks, motives, playing rhythmically or...

Lush Life – Full Harmonic Analysis

Here's a song by Billy Strayhorn that I've always loved and never fully analyzed until writing The Jazz Standards Progressions Book. I've been fascinated by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn compositions since the first time I heard an Ellington album, about thirty years ago. Since then I greatly enjoyed their rich harmonies, rhythmic vocabulary and...

Can We Have a IVmaj7 Chord With an Ionian Chord-Scale?

Here's a musical concept nobody taught me at school. While analyzing 1000+ jazz tunes for The Jazz Standards Progressions Book, I noticed a great number of songs in major keys tonicize the IV degree at the beginning of the bridge. It's usually preceded by the V/IV, landing on the IV at the beginning of the...