Package leaflet · Information for the musician · Scale
D Bebop Dominant Scale
Swinging, flowing and authentically jazzy. The added chromatic passing note makes eighth-note lines land chord tones on the beat.
- 8 notes
- 2 ♯
- jazz
1Composition: what it contains
D – E – F♯ – G – A – B – C – C♯
- 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
- 2 ♯
- Also called
- bebop scale, Mixolydian with added major seventh, dominant bebop scale
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | unison | 0 |
| 2 | E | major second | 2 |
| 3 | F♯ | major third | 4 |
| 4 | G | perfect fourth | 5 |
| 5 | A | perfect fifth | 7 |
| 6 | B | major sixth | 9 |
| ♭7 | C | minor seventh | 10 |
| 7 | C♯ | major seventh | 11 |
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
D Dsus2 Dsus4 D6 D7 Dmaj7 D7sus4 Dadd9 D6/9 D9 Dmaj9 D11 D13
7Other presentations available
The same scale from every note
- C Bebop Dominant Scale
- D flat 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
- A Bebop Dominant Scale
- B flat Bebop Dominant Scale
- B Bebop Dominant Scale
Other scales from the same note
- D Major Scale
- D Natural Minor Scale
- D Harmonic Minor Scale
- D Melodic Minor Scale
- D Dorian Mode
- D Phrygian Mode
- D Lydian Mode
- D Mixolydian Mode
- D Locrian Mode
- D Major Pentatonic Scale
- D Minor Pentatonic Scale
- D Blues Scale
- D Major Blues Scale
- D Whole Tone Scale
- D Half-Whole Diminished Scale
- D Whole-Half Diminished Scale
- D Phrygian Dominant Scale
- D Hungarian Minor Scale
- D Lydian Dominant Scale
- D Altered Scale
- D Double Harmonic Major Scale
Read this leaflet carefully before playing. Keep it near your instrument. Free to use, print and share for personal and educational use.