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Lesson 8
Minor scales

  1. About Minor scales
  2. Where there's Rain (Song)
  3. Scale practice (for 'Where there's Rain')
  4. Improvisation - Rhythm Patterns 36 to 40
  5. Lost in Space (song)
  6. The Woodshed
  7. Quiz and Quiz Answers
  8. Practice Materials

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Im 8.1 - About Minor scales

The Dorian mode is the most commonly used minor scale for Jazz improvisation, especially over isolated minor 7th chords and in so called 'IIm7 - V7' chord combinations (more about this in Lesson 10). But there are other minor scales that are at times preferable, especially when the song is in a minor key.

A minor scale can be defined as a scale that contains a minor triad chord as its tonic chord ( in C : C Eb G).
In other words the scale must contain (measured from the tonic note) :

  • a minor 3rd (b3 = Eb for a C minor scale)

  • a perfect 5th (p5 = G for a C minor scale)

  • it must not contain a major 3rd (3 = E for a C minor scale)
Apart from the above anything else goes.
The most common minor (7 tone-) scales in both Jazz and Classical music have the first five notes of the scale in common (1 2 b3 4 5) but vary in the choice of their 6th and 7th note.
There are four different combinations possible :
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This produces four different minor scales :
Audio 8.1
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The natural minor scale (also called 'Aeolian mode') is like the Dorian mode a displaced major scale. It is a scale that starts on the 6th note of a 'related' major scale.
Audio 8.2
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The key signature for any minor key is the one taken from its natural minor scale. The key signature of a natural minor scale is the same as its related major scale.

For C minor key : The C natural minor scale is derived from the Eb major scale, which has three flats (Bb, Eb and Ab). The key signature for C minor has therefore also three flats.

The harmonic minor scale (with b6 and 7) and the melodic minor scale ( with 6 and 7) are not displaced major scales. One or two of their notes are simply altered from the natural minor scale.

  • When you are READING music notation : think of the the harmonic minor scale as a natural minor scale with a raised 7th.

  • When IMPROVISING it is perhaps easier to imagine the harmonic minor scale as a major scale with a lowered 3rd (b3) and a lowered 6th (b6).

  • When you are READING music notation : think of the the melodic minor scale as a natural minor scale with a raised 6th and 7th.

  • When IMPROVISING it is perhaps easier to imagine the melodic minor scale as a major scale with a lowered 3rd (b3) only.

Modes of the melodic minor scale are especially used for improvisation over altered dominant chords.

The other three minor scales are often used in songs in minor keys. Sometimes all three can be used in the same song like in Where there's Rain. In the final analysis it is your individual choice (guided by your ear) which scale you select in each case.


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Im 8.2 - Where there's Rain . . . (Song)

'Where there's Rain' is a medium tempo Bossa Nova in the key of C minor. Play therefor all quavers 'straight'.

This is a 32 bar song in AB format. The A section is the first 16 bars, the B section the last 16 bars.
Within each section the rhythm of the melody for the first 8 bars and second 8 bars are similar and the chord progressions are exactly the same.

Audio 8.3
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Where there's Rain : Demo - Swapping 4s.

  1. 1st chorus (32 bars) : I play the first 4 bars of each 8-bar segment, you play the following 4 bars.

  2. 2nd chorus (32 bars) : You play the first 4 bars of each 8-bar segment, I play the following 4 bars.

    I start a new phrase in 'your 4th bar' on a number of places, or start a phrase late in 'my own 1st bar'. You can do the same of course.



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Im 8.3 - Scale practice (for 'Where there's Rain')

The chord progression of the song is formed by three chords, Cm7, Fm7 and G7.
It is perfectly OK to use for improvisation the C Dorian mode over Cm7, the F Dorian mode over Fm7, and the G Mixolydian mode over G7. But there are other possibilities.
I suggest you try :

  • the C natural minor over Cm7 - C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

  • the F Dorian mode over Fm7 - F G Ab Bb C D Eb F

  • the C harmonic minor (starting on G) over G7 - G Ab B C D Eb F G

    (observe that the F Dorian mode and C natural minor scale share the same notes)
The above three scales are the ones used for the melody.
For example :
  • in Bar 2 the Ab is used over the Cm7 chord

  • In Bar 6 the Ab is used over the G7 chord

  • and there are several Eb notes used over G7 chords

    (The C# in bar 13 merely functions as a chromatic passing note.)
Compare this with for example the melody Dance with Me Annushka from the previous lesson.
Here the melody deliberately includes the B natural in bars 1, 2, 3 and 7. This reflects the use of the D Dorian mode ( D E F G A B C D) rather than the D natural minor scale (D E F G A Bb C D)

But improvisation is all about personal choices and preferences. I suggest you try both approaches and see which you like best. It is also possible to use a one chorus using one set of scales and a follow up chorus use the other scales. Here is a practice routine that includes the C natural minor and harmonic minor scales.

Audio 8.4
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Note that there is only one critical tone here in the song. It is Bb over the Cm7 and Fm7 chords which becomes B natural over G7.


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Im 8.4 - Improvisation - Rhythm Patterns 36 to 40

A. PHRASING
Continue your practice of starting phrase on different points in the bar.
I have included five more Rhythm Patterns (36 - 40). After these you are on your own.
Extract rhythm patterns from good Jazz soloists (as mentioned before Charlie Parker is in my opinion the supreme phrase maker Jazz has ever known). Also try to improvise without rhythm patterns, but decide before you start playing on which point you start each phrase.

Audio 8.5
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B. ESSENTIAL CHORD TONES
Compare these three chords:

Audio 8.6
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These three chords all have their tonic (1 : C) and fifth (5 : G) in common.
The difference between these three most frequently used chord qualities are spelled out by their 3rd and 7th.

Audio 8.7
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These are what I call the essential chord tones because they determine the quality of the chord. They are arguably the most powerful tones you can use in improvisation. It is therefore important to be aware of these in you improvisation.

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I recommend you go back over the songs we have used in this course so far and focus on these tones. More often than not they also are the 'critical tones' that distinguish one scale from another.


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Im 8.5 - Lost in Space (Song)

I include an extra song in this lesson, 'Lost in Space', a slow rock ballad. Play all quavers straight.
The format can be defined as ABCA. Each section is 8 bars long.
The A and B sections are very similar, only the melody is shifted up a third.

Audio 8.8
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Once again you have a choice of minor scales.
Here are the options :

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The Bb note in the melody in bar 13 over A7 suggests using the D harmonic minor scale here.

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Personally I prefer the Dorian modes over the Dm and Bm chords. It fits in more with the image of a 'clean' outer space.

Rule
When two minor 7th chords are neighbours on the Circle of 5th they share the same notes in at least one of their minor scales. (The notes of the Dorian mode for the chord at the anti-clockwise side.)

I will explain more about the above in Lessons 11 and 12 when we have the complete picture.

Lost in Space : Melody - Swapping 2s - Play-a-Long


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Im 8.6 -The Woodshed

Keep practising the Dorian mode in all keys.
Place strong accents on all off beat notes. Here is a Practice Routine combining Dorian mode and its corresponding tonic chord.

Audio 8.9
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You can also reverse the order, playing first the minor chord up to the 9th, then the Dorian mode back down.

Audio 8.10
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Im 8.7 - Quiz

  1. Convert these major scale into natural minor scales with the same tonic note (1st note) by altering three notes of the scale.
    1. F G A Bb C D E F

    2. D E F# G A B C# D

    3. Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

    4. G A B C D E F# G

    5. E F# G# A B C# D# E


  2. Convert these major scale into harmonic minor scales with the same tonic note
    (1st note) by altering two notes of the scale.
    1. F G A Bb C D E F

    2. D E F# G A B C# D

    3. Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

    4. G A B C D E F# G

    5. E F# G# A B C# D# E


  3. Convert these major scale into natural minor scales ('Aeolian modes') by using
    all the same notes and placing them in the correct order.
    1. F G A Bb C D E F

    2. D E F# G A B C# D

    3. Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

    4. G A B C D E F# G

    5. E F# G# A B C# D# E


  4. Convert these major scale into melodic minor scales with the same tonic note
    (1st note) by altering one note of the scale.
    1. F G A Bb C D E F

    2. D E F# G A B C# D

    3. Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

    4. G A B C D E F# G

    5. E F# G# A B C# D# E


  5. What are the ESSENTIAL CHORD TONES of the following chords.
    1. Dm7

    2. F7

    3. B7

    4. Gmaj7

    5. Bbm7

    6. Am7

    7. Fmaj7

    8. Emaj7

    9. Gm7

    10. A7

Quiz ANSWERS



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Im 8.8 Practice Materials

Where there's Rain Lead sheet Bb Eb Melody & Impro Play-along
Swapping 4s Demo
Lost in Space Lead sheet Bb Eb Melody Play-along
Swapping 2s
Rhythm Patterns Notation Demo
The Woodshed Dorian mode Demo Play-along


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Copyright © 1997 - 2007 Michael Furstner.