Paul Maine

Software Engineer, Musician and Life Long Learner

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Paul Maine

Review of “Bebop Scales” by Joe Riposo

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Bebop Scales was written by Joe Riposo. Joe Riposo is the Director of Jazz Studies at Syracuse University.

What is a bebop scale? The bebop scale is an 8 tone scale.  A chromatic half step is added to the basic 7 tone scales to cause the chord tones to fall on the downbeats. The bebop scale tends to provide a musical phrase with “forward motion”. An example descending bebop scale for C7 would include C,B,Bb,A,G,F,E,D.

The author provides bebop scales in all keys for the following scales:

  • major
  • dorian
  • mixolydian
  • locrian

The author provides exercises that move in minor seconds, fourths, ascending and descending major thirds and ascending and descending minor thirds.

The book also includes an application section that provides examples using the bebop scales.

If you are looking for a book that will give you a good workout on the bebop scale – you should consider this one.

Buy:
Bebop Scales Jazz Scales and Patterns in All 12 Keys

Review of “Elements Of The Jazz Language For The Developing Improvisor

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Elements Of The Jazz Language For The Developing Improvisor was written by Jerry Coker.  Jerry published his first book “Improvising Jazz” in 1964 and has authored many jazz books. In my opinion he is an outstanding author with a great deal of practical information.

Jerry has analyzed many jazz greats and observed 18 common devices that comprise the jazz language.

A few of the devices include

  • Change-Running
  • Digital Patterns
  • 7-3 Resolution
  • 3-b9

The book has a CD which illustrates the examples and the author provides exercises to practice and ingrain the devices.

I highly recommend this book and you can purchase it from the following link.

Buy

Elements of the Jazz Language for the Developing Improvisor

Digital Patterns in Jazz Improvisation

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Dr. David Baker is credited with originating the phrase “Digital Patterns” .  Many great jazz improvisors use digital patterns in their solo’s.

Digital patterns are groups of notes usually numbering four to eight notes.  A digital pattern is constructed  by assigning a number to each note of a scale.

A good digital pattern to begin with is a 1235 pattern.

The 1235 pattern for a C major chord would be:

CDEFGAB

1234567

The first note is C, the second note is D, the third note is E and the fifth note is G so the 1235 pattern for a C major chord would be C-D-E-G

The 1235 pattern for a C minor chord would be C-D-Eb-G.

Here are some additional patterns you can work on:

5-3-2-1

3-5-2-1

5-6-7-9

1-3-5-3

You should also create your own digital patterns.  As always practice the digital patterns in all 12 keys. You can use my jazz standard workout in 12 keys post to practice your digital patterns. In the future I will post a bebop tune for you to practice over that will be a much faster tempo and shorter chord durations.

John Coltrane’s Giant Steps and Countdown songs are full of digital patterns.

Giant Steps (LP Version)

Countdown (LP Version)

Have fun with “Digital Patterns”!

Jazz Standard Workout in all 12 Keys with Charts and Backing Music

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I have written a contrafact of the great jazz standard “All Of Me” named “All Of PAULMAINE.COM”. I have omitted the melody of the song to provide a convenient means to practice jazz improvization of a jazz standard chord progression. It is critical to be proficient in all 12 keys.

Jazz standards are usually characterized by a harmonic rhythm that averages about one to two measures per chord. The intervals used between the roots of adjacent chords frequently are II-V-I, cycle movement and chromatic movement.

I am providing pdf files and mp3 files for all 12 keys. This should readily facilitate practicing in all 12 keys.  Be sure to checkout my post on 250 Jazz Patterns by Evan Tate.  Evans’s 250 Jazz Patterns book has patterns in all 12 keys and will be extremely useful with these jazz standard backing tracks in all 12 keys. You can also use my Harmonic Minor Pattern 1 post on these standards.

Have fun practicing in all 12 keys!

[download id=”4″]

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 [download id=”8″]

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 [download id=”11″]

 [download id=”12″]

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I am including a player for all of the backing music. The backing tracks are all in Concert key. For example, if you play the tenor saxophone and select a backing track in the key of C – you will use a pdf chart in the key of D.

ALL OF PAULMAINE.COM in the Key of C follows:

 [podcast]https://paulmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/06-all-of-paulmaine_com-key-c.mp3[/podcast]

ALL OF PAULMAINE.COM in the Key of Db follows:

 [podcast]https://paulmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/08-all-of-paulmaine_com-key-db.mp3[/podcast]

ALL OF PAULMAINE.COM in the Key of D follows:

 [podcast]https://paulmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/07-all-of-paulmaine_com-key-d.mp3[/podcast]

ALL OF PAULMAINE.COM in the Key of Eb follows:

 [podcast]https://paulmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/10-all-of-paulmaine_com-key-eb.mp3[/podcast]

ALL OF PAULMAINE.COM in the Key of E follows:

 [podcast]https://paulmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/09-all-of-paulmaine_com-key-e.mp3[/podcast]

ALL OF PAULMAINE.COM in the Key of F follows:

 [podcast]https://paulmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/12-all-of-paulmaine_com-key-f.mp3[/podcast]

ALL OF PAULMAINE.COM in the Key of F# follows:

 [podcast]https://paulmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/11-all-of-paulmaine_com-key-fsharp.mp3[/podcast]

ALL OF PAULMAINE.COM in the Key of G follows:

 [podcast]https://paulmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/01-all-of-paulmaine_com-key-g.mp3[/podcast]

ALL OF PAULMAINE.COM in the Key of Ab follows:

 [podcast]https://paulmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/03-all-of-paulmaine_com-key-ab.mp3[/podcast]

ALL OF PAULMAINE.COM in the Key of A follows:

 [podcast]https://paulmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/02-all-of-paulmaine_com-key-a.mp3[/podcast]

ALL OF PAULMAINE.COM in the Key of Bb follows:

 [podcast]https://paulmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/05-all-of-paulmaine_com-key-bb.mp3[/podcast]

ALL OF PAULMAINE.COM in the Key of B follows:

 [podcast]https://paulmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/04-all-of-paulmaine_com-key-b.mp3[/podcast]

Review of Connecting Chords With Linear Harmony by Bert Ligon

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The playing always comes first and then someone takes the time to analyze what the great jazz artists are doing.  This is exactly the case with Bert Ligon and his 146 page book “Connecting Chords With Linear Harmony”.

Bert is a Professor of Jazz at the University of South Carolina School of Music.

Bert has studied hundreds of examples from the jazz greats and extracted three basic outlines from their solos that appear very often. The three basic outlines  are covered very quickly in the first part of the book.  The outlines are demonstrated in major and minor. The remainder of the book covers how to use embellishing devices to make the outlines sound more interesting.  Numerous examples of jazz greats are provided as examples that incorporate the three outlines.  An etude section is also included to demonstrate using the outlines over a few jazz standards.  This method shows how an improviser can provide harmonic clarity in their solos.

I highly recommend this book . You can purchase the book from the following link.

Buy

Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony – Jazz Book