Jazz Scale

M

menergy

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Anyone know what the Jazz scale is?

Is it just another scale with the whole-steps in different places, i.e., the scale all us beginners us (Ionian???) has the whole steps between notes 3&4 and 7&8.

Thanks,
 
I used to, but now I forget... probably cause I don't really like jazz all that much.
 
I just found the blues scale in my music binder.... is that what you want?

These are the notes a euphonium/trombone/baritone would play:

B flat, D flat, E flat, E natural, F natural, A flat, B flat

I don't know how to transpose or anything so I don't think that those are the notes a flute or clarinet or piano would play if they were to play the scale, but you can see the distances in between each note..
 
melodic minor perhaps ? I've also seen a variation of the major scale that uses the flat 3rd too ....
 
It is my understanding that Jazz and Blues
have their own unique scales.

Here is a summary of the scales I have
in my music workbook:

Ionian (Major) half steps at 3-4 and 7-8
(c to c all white keys)

Aeolian (Natural Minor) half steps at 2-3 and 5-6
(a to a all white keys)

Dorian half steps at 2-3 and 6-7
(d to d all white keys)

Phrygian half steps at 1-2 and 5-6
(e to e all white keys)

Lydian half steps at 4-5 and 7-8
(f to f all white keys)

Mixolydian half step at 3-4 and 6-7
(g to g all white keys)

Locrian half steps at 1-2 and 4-5
(b to b all white keys)
 
I don't think that there is a "jazz scale" precisely because there are so many types of jazz...

but, in general there are the same scales as in western classical music... because there are some modal jazz pieces, the modes are used...

additionally there is the blues scale used in jazz... flat 3, flat 5... etc. (mentioned above...)

Pentatonic scales are used alot...


whoa... look what I found when I typed in "jazz scales" in Yahoo: !!!!!

Jazz Scales:

That would be a bunch of jazz scales on one page... I might have to check this out myself.

Good luck... what do you want to use jazz scales for?? Just curious...
 
That link I posted turned out to be kind of useless... because there are no actual examples... but it has a bunch of links to other sites... go to the "Jazz Improvisation Primer" link for more info on scales.
 
There is no such thing as either a jazz scale or a blues scale, really. The blues scale is essentially a pentatonic minor scale with an added sharp 4th, i.e. A, C, D, D#, E, G.
In jazz you follow the chords and the chord changes and play licks within the chords, with minor/major/´"blues"/harmonic/mixolydic/whatever scales, three-tones and complementing notes and so forth. It's hard to explain, really, all you can do is listen to what's going on and try to pick out what you hear.
 
menergy: those are the basic 'modes', there's a tonne of information out there about them. John Coltrane was particularly interested in extending the use of modes in Jazz.

mattu: I always thought the added note in the pentatonic minor was a flat 5 (just to get pedantic on your arse).

KasioRoks
 
yeah yeah yeah, nitpicker.
I was pondering whether it was a flat 5th or a sharp 4th, but I can't remember the official rules anymore. It's the same goddamn tone (not note, though)!!!

But those who can't, teach:D
 
Originally posted by mattu
But those who can't, teach
Click to expand...
Or temp in schitt jobs where they can surf the web all day. You cheeky git!

Originally posted by mattu
It's the same goddamn tone
Click to expand...
See the 'well tempered' thread elsewhere.

KasioRoks
(still smarting from the cuss :cry: )
 
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guys I could swear menergy is talking about the melodic minor, it's all over those jazz progressions...
 
MusickMan I think you're right I have some vague recollection of the melodic minor being called the 'jazz' minor in some music lesson once (as opposed to the harmonic minor which sounds much more 'baroque'/cold).

KasioRoks
 
mattu said it
In jazz you follow the chords and the chord changes and play licks within the chords, with minor/major/´"blues"/harmonic/mixolydic/whatever scales, three-tones and complementing notes and so forth
Click to expand...
The other thing is practice, knowing where the notes are. If you're doing stuff in non real time, then it might just be easier to think chromatically, or hum something in your head that sounds good, and then transcribe it. I don't know much about music theory, so that's what I have to do with.
It's good in a way, because it gives you naivity, and with naivity comes imagination, and with imagination comes creativity, which is what everyone needs a bit more of in this day and age... especially me

HTH
 
I find one of the best things for playing jazz is in fact "knowing where the notes are" and that comes from one of two ways: really boring practice, and/ or really interesting practice.

Really boring practice consists of ear training... which is where you learn how to hear intervals in your head... so that you can trascribe a tune without an instrument, if you get good enough at it, you could do it on the spot...

Really interesting practice consists of just playing alot with bands... especially jazz bands where you improvise alot. Instead of making an academic discipline out of knowing where the right notes are, you make it almost an emotional/ spiritual discipline... it's such a good feeling just thinking up the notes on the spot and then all of a sudden being able to play them by intuition!! zing!!

Anyway... I agree that just playing alot is the best medicine for learning what notes go where... and it also helps your imagination if you play with other people who do the same thing. I'm playing in a band where we don't read music (yeah... free jazz :rolleyes: byt I swear we do get into a groove 75% of the time!!! honest) and our ideas flow, it's really enjoyable.

Jazz scales are kind of what you want them to be now... because jazz is kind of what you want it to be now. If you want to play "old-school" jazz, then you'll have to learn your scales.

Baniak
 
Many people use the term jazz scale for the minor pentatonic. You can find this in any key by using these scale intervals:
1, 3b, 4, 5, 7b
the "b" means half step lower
So for the key of C, you would use C Eb F G Bb
and then you can go higher and lower and whatever, juse use those intervals.
 
KasioRoks said:
I have some vague recollection of the melodic minor being called the 'jazz' minor in some music lesson once

KasioRoks
Click to expand...

Yeah I actually looked in one of my theory books and it reads
" The melodic Minor Scale (aka the jazz scale or the jazz minor scale) "
 
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