Jazz Theory and Practice

Module 1, a, b, c:
Tetrachords and Scales
A. The basic tetrachords, and other scale patterns
Modules 1 and 2 are about jazz basics: chords and scales. The
chords could have come first, and often do, but chords and
scales (or modes) are always linked in the jazz world: every
chord, especially every 7th chord, has a matching scale. Every
scale can be broken into parts, or melodic cells. We begin our
study with these short 3-note and 4-note melodic cells, which
even by themselves (licks) are often used as a source for jazz
improvisation, but also combine to form larger melodic patterns
and scales.
A tetrachord (literally four strings) consists of four notes in a
row, and has been recognized as an important musical element
since the music of the Ancient Greeks. Almost 2500 years ago
the Greeks defined the tetrachord as the smallest melodic
element, and combined tetrachords to form the Greater Perfect
System which became the foundation for scales and music
theory. Significantly, a textbook known to many Canadian jazz
musicians: Delamont, Gordon: Modern harmonic technique
begins the study of jazz theory with tetrachords.
Most musicians would associate a tetrachord with the bottom
half or the top half of a scale or mode. There will be a detailed
introduction to various scales later in Module 1; for the moment
a few different scales will show how tetrachords are combined.
The tetrachord is usually contained within a perfect fourth. The
familiar major scale, for example, consists of two identical major
tetrachords; identical because each tetrachord has the same
pattern of whole steps (W) and half steps (H):

1a1
Copyright 2012 Peter J. Clements

The pattern of whole steps and half steps in the minor tetrachord
forms the lower half of the minor scale, and many similar scales:

1a2

When two minor tetrachords are joined, they form a dorian

mode (or dorian scale), a scale that sounds very close to the
natural minor scale:

1a3

The natural minor scale combines two tetrachords: a minor

tetrachord and a Phrygian tetrachord:

1a4

The Phrygian scale, another scale that sounds very close to a

natural minor scale, is composed of two Phrygian tetrachords:

1a5

The harmonic minor scale combines the minor tetrachord and

the harmonic tetrachord. Notice that the harmonic tetrachord
has a larger interval in the middle: a whole step and half step
combined (an augmented second):
2

1a6

Any pair of tetrachords may be combined.

combines two harmonic tetrachords:

A Gypsy Minor scale

1a7

The four basic tetrachords, then, are Major, Minor, Phrygian, and
Harmonic.

1a8

There is another important four-note cell that is made up

entirely of whole steps:

1a9

It is not a tetrachord by the strict definition (since it doesnt fall

within a perfect fourth), but will be included in our study, and we
will identify it as the tritone tetrachord. (Tritone = 3 tones, or
whole steps). There are two of the seven common modes
(church modes) that contain the tritone tetrachord, the Lydian,
3

and the Locrian. The tritone tetrachord produces a feeling of

instability in both modes:

1a10

The whole-tone scale can be seen as two overlapping tritone

tetrachords:

1a11

The whole-tone scale contains only whole steps, and has a

strong feeling of instability (there is really no tonic or dominant
note) created by the tritones. You will see that the whole steps
are usually written as major seconds, but one of the intervals
has to be respelled (as a diminished third) in order to come back
to the beginning note. The scale above could also be written
with the sharps rewritten as flats (G-flat, A-flat, and B-flat), but
there would still be one odd interval in the scale.
There are two common three-note cells, filling in a perfect fourth
just like the tetrachord, and using just two intervals: a minor
third and a major second (or whole step). We will refer to these
as the major trichord, and the minor trichord:

1a12

One version (there are several versions!) of the pentatonic scale

uses two major trichords:

1a13

Children throughout the world know a chant (sometimes called

The Teasing Song) that uses only the notes of the minor
trichord:

1a14

The minor pentatonic scale (often used in jazz improvisation) is

made up of two minor trichords:

1a15

A single note inserted between the two minor trichords produces

the common Blues Scale:

1a16

The following chart summarizes the tetrachords and trichords:

TETRACHORD

COMPOSITION
(W=whole; H = half step)

Major
Minor
Phrygian
Harmonic
Tritone
TRICHORD
Major
Minor

W
W
H
H
W

W
H
W
W+H
W

M2(W)

m3(W+H)

m3

M2

H
W
W
H
W

Something to listen to: Keith Jarrett: de drums from the

album Priceless Jazz. (listen for trichords).
Miles Davis: Blue n Boogie (by Dizzy Gillespie) (The
same minor trichord!)
Return to the menu, and try the PLAY/SING and WRITE exercises
for Module 1a.