The Whole Tone Scale

                The whole tone scale is a six pitched scale composed of six consecutive whole steps.  Remember that there are only 12 chromatic pitches in music.  Therefore, the six symmetrical whole steps of this scale represent half of the 12 chromatic pitches found in music.  This means that there are only two whole tone scales. 

                One of these whole tone scales contains the pitches C-D-E-F#-G#-Bb.  The other scale contains the pitches Db-Eb-F-G-A-B.  I happened to start these two scale examples on C and Db, but any pitch in the scale can be considered a valid starting point.  Other starting points are just inversions of the same group of six pitches. 

                There are no official rules for properly spelling the pitches of a whole tone scale.  There are, however, some helpful tips to consider.  First, use a spelling that will make the scale easiest for the performer to read.  Your spelling may vary based on the tonal context of your musical application.  For example, the starting pitch you select for the scale or the key of the piece you are applying the scale to may cause variations in the spelling you use.  Next, try to maintain a consistent spelling within the same musical phrase or section.  Finally, try to avoid double flats, double sharps and white note sharps/flats (Cb, B#, Fb and E#). 

               Due to the number of variables in spelling (depending on the musical context) I will not attempt to provide a sheet music scale listing for practice purposes.  Writing out your own scales and spellings based on the musical context of your application would be a much better practice exercise.  Once you are proficient in performing the scale with various starting points, then concentrate your efforts on studding the proper musical application of the scale.

                The whole tone scale is often used to create a floating or ethereal effect within the music.  It can be found in many musical genres, and is used heavily in impressionistic music.  The tasteful use of this scale in musical improvisation helps to add more variety and color to your musical pallet.  However, the sound created by this scale does not apply to every musical context.  The whole tone scale lends itself to being played over chords with a raised 5^th.  The ideal chord for this scale is the dominant 7+ which contains a raised 5^th and raised 11^th.         

                 In this Learning Music With Ray video I discuss the definition and composition of the whole tone scale.  I discuss the number of pitches that a whole tone scale is composed of, and the fact that there are basically only two whole tone scales to learn.  Finally I cover tips on how to use this scale in musical improvisation. 

 

The Diminished Scale

        Like the bebop scale that we discussed last week, the diminished scale is composed of eight pitches.  Remember, most of the music of bebop jazz era is composed in a 4/4 shuffle feel that is complemented by flowing eighth note patterns.  A 4/4 measure can contain a maximum of 8 eighth notes, so an 8 pitch scale would be the optimal tool for musical improvisation in this musical style.  The bebop scale introduced a chromatic pitch to add interest.  The diminished scale includes several chromatic pitches and adds even more variety. 

    

       The diminished scale is composed of alternating intervals of whole and half steps.  The scale can either start with a half step or a whole step (depending on the chord it is being applied to).  So, the interval pattern used to compose a diminished scale is either W-H-W-H-W-H or H-W-H-W-H-W. 

   Since the diminished scale is based on an alternating whole step / half step pattern, there are only 3 diminished scales to learn.  Tonics that are a minor third apart share the same diminished scale.  The tonics of C, Eb, Gb, and A share the same diminished scale, and they can be thought of a group 1 of the diminished scales.  The next group of tonics that share the same diminished scale are C#, E, G and Bb (group 2).  The final group (group 3) is composed of the tonics D, F, Ab and B.  Included in the video are slides in which the scales of each of these groups are written out (in both whole/half and half/whole form).  Practicing these scales in light of the three groups will aid in both understanding and memorization. 

   Due to the alternating whole and half step pattern of the diminished scale, the rules for proper pitch spelling are ambiguous.  There are three main methods commonly applied among music theorists to achieve uniform pitch spelling.  One is the fraternal neighbors method.  In this method, the eight pitches are paired in groups of two, and neighboring chromatic pairs are given different letter names.  An example of this in the C (half/whole) diminished scale would be / C Db / D# E / F# G / A Bb /.  The second method involves stacking two diminished tetrachords separated by a whole step.  This results in the same spelling as the fraternal neighbors method, and only differs in the mental grouping of the pitches (example: C (half/whole) diminished scale: / C Db D# E / F# G A Bb /).  The third is the identical neighbors method.  Just like the fraternal neighbors method, the eight pitches are paired in groups of two.  However, now the neighboring chromatic pairs are given the same letter name (example: C (half/whole) diminished scale / C C# / Eb E / Gb G / A A#/).  For the scale examples given in this lesson, I have used the fraternal neighbors method. 

   Certain harmonies lend themselves to the use of the diminished scale in musical improvisation.  In addition, certain forms of the scale (whole/half or half/whole) are more appropriate depending on the harmony being improvised over.  When improvising over major triads and dominant 7b9 chords; the half/whole diminished scale that shares the tonic of the current chord can be used.  When improvising over minor triads, minor 7^th chords and diminished 7^th chords (fully diminished 7^th); the whole/half diminished scale that shares the tonic of the current chord can be used.  The tasteful use of these scales, in combination with the other scales we have studies, helps to provide a broader musical pallet for improvisation.  This leads to the creation of more interesting and varied melodies. 

        In this Learning Music With Ray video I discuss the definition and composition of diminished scales.  I cover the whole and half step pattern that is used to create this scale, and the proper way to spell the pitches of the scale.  I also explain why there are basically only three diminished scales to learn, and how all the other keys are related to these three.  Finally I cover which chords compliment the use of the diminished scale in musical improvisation.  

The Bebop Scale

                As we have discussed in past lessons, our Western musical system is based off of a seven letter musical alphabet.  This results in major and minor keys/scales that are composed of seven pitches.  In addition, even the modal scales are composed of seven pitches.  Pentatonic scales are only composed of five pitches, but they are based more on the concepts of Eastern and folk music. 

                When looking to compile a collection of pitches for musical improvisation, the music of bebop jazz era lends itself to a particular type of rhythmic feel and flow.  Most of this music is composed in a 4/4 shuffle feel that is complemented by flowing eighth note patterns.  A 4/4 measure can contain a maximum of 8 eighth notes, so an 8 pitch scale would be the optimal tool for musical improvisation in this musical style.

                The bebop scale is an eight pitch scale composed by introducing one addition chromatic pitch to a modal scale.  There are four types of bebop scales based on the four most common jazz seventh chords.  The four most common jazz seventh chords are the four chord qualities found in the diatonic seventh chords of the major and minor keys.  They are the major 7^th, minor 7^th, dominant 7^th and the half diminished 7^th chords.  This is demonstrated below by the included graphics that display the major and minor diatonic seventh chords.

                The bebop scale that is based off of the major 7^th chord is the called the major bebop scale.  A review of the modal scale relations to chords and improvisation reveals that the Ionian mode/scale is often used for improvisation over the major 7^th chord.  The major bebop scale is composed by adding a raised 5^th between the normal 5^th and 6^th of the Ionian scale.  The graphics below display both the formation of the major bebop scale and its written form in all 12 keys.

                The bebop scale that is based off of the dominant 7^th chord is the called the dominant bebop scale.  A review of the modal scale relations to chords and improvisation reveals that the Mixolydian mode/scale is often used for improvisation over the dominant 7^th chord.  The dominant bebop scale is composed by adding an interval that is a major 7^th from the root after the minor 7^th that is normally found in the Mixolydian scale.  The graphics below display both the formation of the dominant bebop scale and its written form in all 12 keys.

The bebop scale that is based off of the minor 7^th chord is the called the minor bebop scale.  A review of the modal scale relations to chords and improvisation reveals that the Dorian mode/scale is often used for improvisation over the major 7^th chord.  The minor bebop scale is composed by adding an interval that is a major 3^rd from the root between the minor 3^rd and the perfect 4^th that are normally found in the Dorian scale.  The graphics below display both the formation of the major bebop scale and its written form in all 12 keys.

The bebop scale that is based off of the half-diminished 7^th chord is the called the half-diminished bebop scale.  A review of the modal scale relations to chords and improvisation reveals that the Locrian mode/scale is often used for improvisation over the half-diminished 7^th chord.  The half-diminished bebop scale is composed by adding an interval that is a perfect 5^th from the root between the diminished 5^th and minor 6^th that are normally found in the Locrian scale.   The graphics below display both the formation of the major bebop scale and its written form in all 12 keys.

                In this Learning Music With Ray video I discuss the definition and composition of the bebop scale.  I cover a brief description of the overall concept of the bebop scale being an eight pitch scale, and why eight pitches are conducive to jazz improvisation.  I then go into a more detailed discussion on the four types of bebop scales and how they are derived.  Finally I cover tips on how to use these scales in musical improvisation.