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Scales
Scales are a group of notes in an octave, generally played in ascending or descending sequential order. However,
scales are most often used as a base for improvisation and not played sequentially at all. The most common scales
are major and minor. A scale can begin on any note, but it is the intervals between the notes that decides whether
it is major, minor, or something else entirely. For example, here is a C Major scale:
What makes this a C Major scale is that it begins on C, and has the intervals which make it a major scale. This is
best demonstrated on a keyboard layout:
Here you will see the C Major scale again, this time on keys. What makes this a major scale is the number of notes
between each note of the scale; or the number of steps. For example, between C and D (the first two notes of the
scale) there is one note, C# (or Db). Thus D is two notes above C, or a whole step. Between D and E is another
whole step. Now between E and F there are no notes, thus F is one note above E or a half step. Between F and G is
a whole step, between G and A is a whole step, between A and B is a whole step, and between B and C1 is a half step.
Thus, to make a major scale, you start on a given note (any note will do) and go up 1 step, 1 step, 1/2 step, 1 step,
1 step, 1 step, 1/2 step. Another example would be the scale being played below, an A Major scale. Pay close
attention to the intervals.
All scales behave this way, the only differences are the intervals. Here is a list of the most common scales used
in Jazz and their intervals. You may notice that not all of them have 8 notes.
Major Scale: 1, 1, 1/2, 1, 1, 1, 1/2
Minor Scale: 1, 1/2, 1, 1, 1/2, 1, 1
Major Pentatonic Scale: 1, 1, 3/2, 1, 3/2
Minor Pentatonic Scale: 3/2, 1, 1, 3/2, 1, 3/2
Blues Scale: 3/2, 3/2, 1/2, 1/2, 3/2, 3/2
Harmonic Minor Scale: 1, 1/2, 3/2, 1, 1/2, 3/2, 1
Important notes on some of these scales: You can see that only the major, minor, and harmonic minor scales have
eight notes each. The other scale shave either 7 (as in the minor pentatonic and blues scales) or 6 (as in the
major pentatonic). Another important note about the minor pentatonic. A minor pentatonic is simply a major
pentatonic inverted to begin 3 half steps below a major pentatonic. Thus a C major pentatonic would become an
A minor pentatonic, even though they have the same notes. The blues scale is a minor pentatonic scale with a
diminished 5th added.
This is not a complete list, there are other scales which you should learn as you become a more accomplished
musician, however these are the most commonly used scales in Jazz. Learning scales is important before learning
chords (which are based on scales) and before attempting to improvise or solo.
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Continue to Part 3
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