Piano World Home Page Forums General Discussions Musicians Welcome! Is there such a thing as a Jazz scale?

While academically a music scale is a music scale, many players use the term "Jazz scale" to refer those used most often in the composition or playing of Jazz music. Scales that contain the "blue notes" (b3, b5, b7) will often be used in Jazz but it is more of HOW the scale is used which interestes the Jazz player. Here are two charts that may be helpful:

Common Jazz Scales
Common Piano Scales

Yes, unfortunately I think there are jazz scales. Sometimes I wish there weren't - Jarrett (whose playing I like very much generally) uses those blues scales and chords to death at times. That particular sound, in conjunction with a ten minute ostinato on one chord gets very monotonous after a while and I reach the stage where I push the CD on a bit. Fortunately he redeems himself with some passages of overwhelming beauty using augmented harmony (A,C#,F,G# - whatever that chord's called) - luscious, because he doesn't overuse it.

Variety is the keynote. Rules are for fools.

IMO, that jazz scales chart leaves out a couple of very important ones, namely the so-called "be-bop" scale, which is a major scale with both 7ths, and the Lydian b7 scale. In addition, I personally find it much more useful to think of the diminished scale as starting with the 1/2 step, rather than the whole. In that way a dominant-function chord with the same root/tonic is supplied with all the usual extension tones, i.e. b9, +9, #11, 13 and b7.

jazz scales chart leaves out... the Lydian b7 scale. - Ken

Thanks - Yes, I did leave it out. Might just put it in now that you mention it - LOL. It is included in the Virtual Piano under Lydian Minor.

<added> Now that I actually looked, that isn't the scale you are referring to either (or is it?) </added>

In what context would you find use for the Lydian b7, and would you use the complete scale, or pieces of it?

keyplr -

No it's not Lydian minor, but that chart DOES show "Lydian Dominant" which is the same as whag I was talking about. It's basically a dominant scale, and has that b5/#11 sound if you want it. As far as how I use it, in many ways. It's a good pattern - or motive group - generator if you don't let it get too cliched sounding, and with slight alterations works in a large variety of major dominant type situations. Not as minor sounding as the diminshed scale.

So Ken, if I understand you correctly, you feel that the Lydian Dominant scale that's included in the Common Piano Scales chart has significance to also be included in the Common Jazz Scales ?

I guess I just didn't understand what you meant by "Lydian b7" Thanks

keyplyr -

Yes, you understand me correctly! I consider it a "basic" or essential "jazz scale." The be-bop scale is cool too, since it's designed to fill beats more symmetrically than typical septatonic scales.

Thanks for your input Ken; I have indeed added the two scales. I'm sure many players will appreciate the addition.