A Bebop Dominant Scale

1Composition: what it contains

A – B – C♯ – D – E – F♯ – G – G♯

Formula

1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 7

Steps

W – W – H – W – W – H – H – H

Number of notes

8

Sharps and flats

3 ♯

Also called

bebop scale, Mixolydian with added major seventh, dominant bebop scale

2Appearance: diagrams and sound

Tip: click any note, key or fret to hear it. Orange = root.

3Indications: what it is used for

Mixolydian plus the major seventh as a passing note (1-2-3-4-5-6-♭7-7). It is played over dominant seventh chords in bebop, swing, hard bop and jazz blues, and over the ii–V pair (since ii and V share the same parent scale). Played descending from a chord tone on a downbeat in continuous eighth notes, the chromatic step keeps the chord tones (1, 3, 5, ♭7) on the beats, which is why it sounds so idiomatic in fast swing tunes.

4Dosage: how to practise it

Ten minutes daily at 100–200 BPM with a swing feel. Start descending from the root on beat one in steady eighth notes and check that every downbeat falls on 1, ♭7, 5 or 3. Then start from the third, fifth and seventh. Practise ii–V–I lines combining a ii arpeggio with descending bebop runs. On guitar, use positions that keep the chromatic step on one string. On piano, use the right hand for lines and left-hand shells (3 and ♭7). Increase the tempo by 8 BPM per week.

5Warnings and common mistakes

The added major seventh is a passing note only: landing on it on a strong beat over a dominant chord sounds wrong. The scale works best descending in eighth notes starting on a chord tone; starting off the beat shifts the chromatic note onto downbeats. Do not confuse it with the major bebop scale (major scale plus ♯5/♭6). Over altered dominants, the natural ninth and thirteenth clash; switch to altered or diminished there.

6Interactions with chords, scales and keys

Chords that fit this scale

A Asus2 Asus4 A6 A7 Amaj7 A7sus4 Aadd9 A6/9 A9 Amaj9 A11 A13

7Other presentations available

The same scale from every note

• C Bebop Dominant Scale
• D flat Bebop Dominant Scale
• D Bebop Dominant Scale
• E flat Bebop Dominant Scale
• E Bebop Dominant Scale
• F Bebop Dominant Scale
• F sharp Bebop Dominant Scale
• G Bebop Dominant Scale
• A flat Bebop Dominant Scale
• B flat Bebop Dominant Scale
• B Bebop Dominant Scale

Other scales from the same note

• A Major Scale
• A Natural Minor Scale
• A Harmonic Minor Scale
• A Melodic Minor Scale
• A Dorian Mode
• A Phrygian Mode
• A Lydian Mode
• A Mixolydian Mode
• A Locrian Mode
• A Major Pentatonic Scale
• A Minor Pentatonic Scale
• A Blues Scale
• A Major Blues Scale
• A Whole Tone Scale
• A Half-Whole Diminished Scale
• A Whole-Half Diminished Scale
• A Phrygian Dominant Scale
• A Hungarian Minor Scale
• A Lydian Dominant Scale
• A Altered Scale
• A Double Harmonic Major Scale