6 Easy Steps For Unraveling The Mystery Of

Improvisation

Major Scales and Diatonic Chords

The large chart lays out for you all notes in all major keys. The Ws and s across the top represent the intervals between each of the noteswhole steps and half steps. The Roman numerals represent the degrees of the scales. For example, the third degree of C major is E. The Greek words across the bottom are the names of the modes that begin on each degree. That is, if you wanted to play in the F Lydian mode, youd use the notes of the C major scale, but treat F as the
1

root. The two charts at the bottom show the chord quality (major, minor, diminished, etc.) that results from building chords on each of the scale degrees.

W
I C G D A E B F# C# F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Ionian II D A E B F# C# G# D# G C F Bb Eb Ab Db Dorian

W
III E B F# C# G# D# A# E# A D G C F Bb Eb Phrygian

2
IV F C G D A E B F# Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb Lydian

W
V G D A E B F# C# G# C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb

W
VI A E B F# C# G# D# A# D G C F Bb Eb Ab

W
VII B F# C# G# D# A# E# B# E A D G C F Bb Locrian

2
VIII [I] C G D A E B F# C# F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Ionian

Mixolydian Aeolian

Diatonic Triads Major: I, IV, V Minor: II, III, VI Diminished: VII

Diatonic 7th Chords Major 7: I, IV (Dominant) 7: V Minor 7: II, III, VI Minor 7 ( b 5): VII

The Formula Method for Chords and Scales

When using these formulas, always start with the major scale of the prevailing chord or scale. Say youre trying to gure out the notes in a D minor 9th chord. The chart below species 1 (the root, D in this case), b 3, 5, b 7, and 9. The next note after the root we need is a atted third. Find the D major scale on the previous page. Under the Roman numeral III on the chart youll nd the third of the D major scaleF #. Since the chord calls for a atted third, we need to lower this note a half step, to F. You can nd the rest of the notes the same wayfor the fth and atted seventh, look under V to get A, and under VII to get C #remember to at this to C. For the ninth, you need to go beyond the rst octavesince VIII is the same note as I, IX (if it was there) would be the same as II. The ninth we need then, is E. You can build scales the same waynd the major scale with the root you need, and ll in other notes according to the chart in appendix III, atting and sharping where necessary.

Major Family of Chords

(Maj) (Maj) add 9 (Maj) 6 (Maj) 6/9 Maj 7 Maj 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 9 6 6 7 7 7 6 9 9 7 13 9

Dominant Family of Chords

(Dom) 7 (Dom) 7/6 (Dom) 9 (Dom) 13 (Dom) 7 sus 4 (Dom) 7/6sus4 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

b7
6

b7
9 9 13

b7 b7 b7
6

b7
9 9 13

Maj 13 (Maj 7/6/9) 1 Maj 7/6 1

(Dom) 9sus4 or 11 1 (Dom) 13sus4 1

b7 b7

Minor Family of Chords

Minor Minor add 9 Minor 6 Minor 6/9 Minor 7 Minor 9 Minor 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Other Chord Types

5 (power chord) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 2 4 4 5 5 5 9 sus 2 sus 4 add 9 sus 4 Minor 7 ( b 5) 9 9 11 Diminished 7th Augmented

b3 b3 b3 b3 b3 b3 b3

5 5 5 5 5 5 5 9 6 6 9

b7 b7 b7

b3 b3
3

b5 b5 #5

b7 bb7*

*bb 7=6 (enharmonic equivalent)

II

Scale Formulas

Ionian (Major Scale) Dorian Phrygian Lydian Mixolydian Aeolian Locrian Major Pentatonic Minor Pentatonic Blues Blues Composite Harmonic Minor Phrygian Dominant Melodic Minor Lydian Augmented Overtone (Lydian b 7)

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2

4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5 5

6 6

b3 b3
3 3

b7 b7
7

b2
2 2 2

b6
6 6

#4
4 4 4

b7 b7 b7 b7 b7 b7
7

b3 b3
3

b6 b6
6

b2
2

b5
5

b3 b3
2 2

4 4 #4 4 #4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5 5 6

b3 3 b3
3

b6 b6
6 6 6

b2
2 2 2 2

b7
7 7

b3
3 3 3

#4 #4
4

#5
5 5

b7 b7 b7 b7
7

* Mixolydian b 6 (Aeolian Major)

Super Locrian (Altered Dominant) Half Step/Whole Step Diminished Whole Step/Half Step Diminished Whole Tone

b6 b6
6 6

b2 b2
2 2

b3 b3 3 b3
3

b4 #4
4 #4

b5
5

#5 #5

#4

b7

* Mixolydian b 6 is not illustrated

in the Scale Formula Diagrams. To form this scale, take the Mixolydian mode and at the sixth.

III

Tonal Colors
Strive to hear each of these tones against all harmonic situations:
1 Strongest tone (Root) 5 Very strong (e.g. Power chords are Root-Fifth) 3 Strong Major sound

b7 b3 (#9)

Brings out the Blues sound (Dominant sound) Brings out Minor soundalso acts as a blue note against Dominant 7 harmony. The b 3 wants to resolve to the 3

6 ( 13 ) Not as strong as previous tones 2 ( 9 ) Jazzy, not as strong as previous tones 4 ( 11 ) Sus4 sound, resolves to 3.

#4 (b5) b6 (#5) b2 (b9)

Blue note, sinister sound, wants to resolve to 5 or down to 4 for Blues sound Weak tone, resolves down to 5 or up to b7 Tension tone, resolves down to 1

7 Pretty, Major 7 sound, tends to resolve upward to 1

Parent Scale Concept

Modes are offspring of the major scale, which is the parent. Ex. 1: D Dorian contains the same notes as the C major scale. It can be thought of as a C major scale played from D to D. Ex. 2: A b Lydian is an E b major scale played from A b to A b. Ex. 3: The parent of B Mixolydian is E major. Each mode has a color. Learn to hear these colors:
Ionian Pretty, Major soundDo, Re, Mi etc. Dorian Jazzy Minor sound Phrygian Spanish Flamenco sound Lydian Bright Major sound Mixolydian Bluesy Major sound Aeolian Darker Minor sound Locrian Very dark Minor 7 b 5 sound Overtone Bright Dominant 7 sound Phrygian Dominant Spanish Flamenco sound

In many situations, you can mix modes for more colors. For example: over Dominant 7 chords in blues, you can use both Dorian and Mixolydian, or Blues Composite, which contains the Dorian and Mixolydian notes. Finally, remember that whatever exists in the parent scale (chords, clusters, Pentatonic sub-scales, etc.) also exists in the offspring modes. Examine these and try all of the possibilities.

IV

Scale Formula Fretboard Diagrams

These diagrams are all in G. You can transpose them to other keys by moving the root (the 1) to the note you need, and moving everything else relative to that. For example, if you wanted to play in B b , youd move everything up three frets. The notes on the E and A strings are shown in the tab in appendix VIII to help you nd the roots you need.

Ionian (Major Scale)

6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 5 3 4 5 6 2 7 1 3 5 6 6 7 1 3 4 7 1 2 3 4 7 1 2 3 #4 5 6 3 #4 5 6 7 1 2 6 6 2

Lydian
5 6 7 1 2 3 #4 5 1 2 3 6 #4 5 6 2 7 1 3 7 1 2 3 #4 5 6 3 #4 5 6 7 1

Major Pentatonic
6 2 3 1 3 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 5 1 5 1 6 2 3 5 6 5 6 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 5 1 1 3 6

Minor Pentatonic %7 %3
4 5 5 1 4

%7
1

%7 %3
1 4 5

%3

%7
1

%3
4 5

%7
1

%3
4 5

%7
1

%3

Blues %7
1

Dorian
4 #4 5

%3
4 #4 5

%7
1

%7
1 2

%3
4 5 6 %7 1 2

5 6 %7 1 2 %3 4 5

1 4 2 %3 4 5 1 6 %7 1 2 5 6 %7

%7
1 2 %3 4 5 6

%7 %3
1 4 #4 5

%3
4 #4 5

%7
1

%3
4 #4 5

%3
4 5 6

%7
1

%3
4 #4 5

%7
1

%3

%3

Aeolian (Natural Minor) %7

1 2 2

Phrygian %7
1 2 %3 4 5 %6

%3
4 5

%6 %7
1 2 %3 4 5

1 4 2 %3 4 5 %6 5

%7
1 %2

%3
4 5

%6 %2 %7 %3
1 %2 4 5 %6

4 5 %6

%7
1 %2

%6 %7
1 2 %3

%3
4 5

%6 %7
1 2

%3
4 5

%6 %7 %2
1

%7
1 %2

%3
4 5 %6

%3
4 5

%6

%7
1

%6

%7
1

%3

Locrian %7
1 %2

Mixolydian
4 %5

%3
4 %5

%6 %2 %7 %3
1 %2 4 %5

%7
1 %2

%7
1 2 3 4 5 6

2 3 4 5 6

5 6

3 4 2 5 3 4 5 1 6 %7 1 3 6 %7

%7
1 2 3 4 5 6

%6 %7
1 %2

%7

%3
4

%6 %7
1 %2

%3
4 %5

1 2 3 4 5

%6

%3 %6
4 %5

%7
1 2

%6

%7
1

%3 %6

VI

Overtone
6

Blues Composite
3 6 #4 5 6 %7 1

%7
1 2 3 #4 5 6

2 3 #4 5 6

5 6 %7 1

1 2 3

%7
1 2 3 #4 5 6

%7
1 2

%3
3 4 #4 5 6 %7 1 2

5 6 %7 1 2 %3 3 4 #4 5

1 2 %3 3 4 #4 5 6 %7 1

3 4 #4 5 6 %7 1 2

%7
1 2 %3 3 4 #4 5 6

#4

%3
3 4 #4 5 6

%7
1 2

2 3 #4 5

5 6 %7 1

2 3

%3
3

Phrygian Dominant %7
1 %2 3 4 5 %6 3 4 5 %6 5

Melodic Minor %7
1 %2 6 7 1 2 %3 3 4 5 %6 4 7 5 6 1 2 4 5 7 1 2

%6 %2 %7
1 %2 3 4 5

3 4 5 %6

%3
4 5 6

5 6 7 1 2 %3

1 4 2 %3 4 5 6 2 %3 5 6 7 1

6 7 1 2 %3 4 5 6

%7
1 %2

%7
1 %2 3 4 5

%6 %7
1

Super Locrian 1 %4 %7 %3 %6 %2 %4 %5 1 %7 %3 %2 %5 %4 %6 %3 %4 %5 %6 %6 %7
1 %2 1 %2

Half/Whole Diminished %7
1 %2 6

%7 %2 %3
3 #4 5 6 1

%3
3 #4 5 6 %7 1 %2

5 6 %7 1 %2

%2 %3 3
#4 5 6 %7 1

3 #4 5 6 %7 1 %2

%7
1 %2

%5 %7

%3 %6 1 %4 %2 %5 %7 %5 %3 %6 1 %4

%3 %4

%3
3 #4 5 6

%3
3 #4 5

%3 3

VII

Whole/Half Diminished
6 7 1 2 2

Whole Tone %7
7 1 2 %3 4 #4 #5 6 1 #4 2 #5 3 #4 1 #5 2 #4 1 3 1 #4 2 #5 3 1 #4 2 #5 2 #5 3 1 3 2 3 #4 1 #5 2 3

%3
4 #4 #5 6

1 #5 6 7 1 2 %3 4 #4 7 1 2 %3 4 #4 #5 6 4 #4 #5 6 7 1 2

%7

%7

%3
4 #4 #5 6

%7

%7

7 1 2

%3

%7

Lydian Augmented
6 7 1 2 #5 3 #4 #5 6 6 7 1 #4 2 7 1 2 3 #5 6 2 3 #4 #5 6 7 1 1 2 3 #4 7 1 2 3 #5 6 3 4 #4 3 #4 #5 6 6 7 1 2 7 1

Harmonic Minor
2

%3
4 5 %6

%6

1 4 2 %3 5 %6 7 1 2

2 %3

7 1 2 %3

4 5 %6 7 1 2 %3

%3
4 5 %6

5 %6

7 1 2

4 5 7 1

Notes on E and A Strings

0
E

1
F

7
B

8
C

9
C/D

10
D

11
D/E

12
E

F/G G G/A

A A/B

7
E

8
F

9
F/G

10
G

11
G/A

12
A

A A/B B

C C/D

D D/E

VIII