how to play jazz guitar part iii. essential_altered_scales_by_andy_drudy

8/10/2019 How to Play Jazz Guitar Part III. Essential_Altered_Scales_by_Andy_Drudy

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/how-to-play-jazz-guitar-part-iii-essentialalteredscalesbyandydrudy 1/7

ssential_Altered_Scales_

by_Andy_Drudy

When improvising over complex harmony, eventually a player has to learn how to deal

with altered dominant chords. There are our common chords that you have to deal

with. Sharp !th, lat !th, sharp "th and lat "th. #ets ta$e a loo$ at each o these. There

is a scale called the %altered scale& which is a mode o the melodic minor and contains

all these chord tones and will thereore wor$ over any altered dominant chord. We will

loo$ at that last o all.

The whole tone scale to deal with augmented chords o '(! chord types

The whole)tone scale is a scale made up o whole tones only. *t contains all the chord

tones contained in a '(! chord. The scale is as ollows. +ote that no root note is

indicated. This is because any o the notes can be the root note due to the scale being

symmetrical in shape.

A more ocused sound can be created by using an augmented arpeggio. All the tonesare a maor third apart, so once again any o the chord tones can be the root note. The

arpeggio can be repeated up our rets or a maor third up -or down.

/ Augmented Arpeggio.

Try improvising over ollowing chord progression using thes scales.

1



Dealing with a dominant lat ive chord

0or this chord type we need a set o arpeggios.

There are no shortcuts here. #earn them1

2



Try improvising over the ollowing chord progression.

Dealing with a dominant lat "th chord

The most common occurrence of a flat 9th chord is in a minor II-V-I progression. For

the II and V chord, the tonality shifts to the harmonic minor. The scale we will use is

the fifth mode of the harmonic minor, which we will look at in a moment.

The arpeggio for this chord is rather more interesting. For improising oer a ! flat 9

chord we can use a diminished arpeggio up a half step. "o to play oer #! flat 9

$e could use % flat diminished arpeggio.

&et us e'amine why this is.

a #!th consists of(.

# ) * ) + ) F

a #!th flat 9 chord consist of(.

# ) * ) + ) F ) % flat

If we leae out the root note the #(.

* ) + ) F ) % flat

%ll the notes are a minor third apart and therefore a diminished chord. %ny note cantherefore e the root note of this chord. "o, for a !th flat 9 chord, we can use a

diminished arpeggio up a half step. #!th flat 9 / % flat dim. In this case, the flat

nine ecomes the root note of the diminished chord.

The scales we use for a !th flat 9 chord, as we said earlier are the fifth mode of the

harmonic minor. The patters are as follows.

0



7th flat 9 Scales



+iminished arpeggios are as follows. "ince they repeat eery minor third, we only

need two patterns.

There are other patterns, ut I would recommend that you try and work them out for

yourseles.

Dealing with a dominant sharp 9th chord

There is one scale that you can play oer every altered dominant scale. It is,appropriately named the altered scale. It is sometimes called the "uper-&ocrian mode.

It is the seenth mode of the melodic minor ascending scale. In the key of , it goes

as follows(.

- + flat - 3flat - Fflat - #flat - %flat - *flat -

*t contains all our altered dominant tones. The sharp !th, lat !th, sharp "th and lat "th ,

and so, will wor$ over any altered dominant chord. So now we have dierent possible

scales we can play over the same altered dominant chord. Which do you use2 Well,

that is entirely your call. Explore the sounds o each o the scales, get them under your

ingers, and then, sonically, use them as you eel appropriate.

*t is important at this stage that you are amiliar with the sound o each o these scales.

This is the really hard wor$. When you have learnt the altered scales -o ever type,

learn how to sing it without an aid. 3emember, when improvising, your brain should be

engaged in choosing the notes, not your ingers.

The patterns or the altered scale are as ollows.

4



The Altered Scale

5



There are many ways and means o creating an altered sound over a dominant chord.

Try substituting dierent arpeggios over each other. 0or example, experiment with

playing a dominant 'th arpeggio up a hal step rom the chord you are playing. So over

A'th, play 4 lat 'th, and try and resolve your line somehow bac$ to A'th. #i$e the

Altered Scale, this also gives you all the altered !ths and "ths. 3esolving your line is all)

important. Try the same thing up a minor 5rd

-6' over A' or up a lat ive -E lat 'over A'. Each o these will give you a strange and new landscape to explore.

T7E+8. Try playing anything over a dominant ' th chord9 minor 'th arpeggios9 hal

diminished arpeggios9 diminished scales9 or even completely random notes starting

rom any point in the chromatic scale above the root. +ow we have an unlimited tonal

universe o sound to explore. /ood luc$ with that1

3hythm

:lease remember that this discussion o altered harmony is only hal o the picture.

#iterally only hal the picture. 7ow you approach rhythm will radically eect how yourphrases sound. Whilst this topic i ar too broad to deal with here, it is o primary

importants that you explore this ield in conunction with your choice o notes.

opyright elongs to %ndy +rudy. 6se y permission only.

www.7ama.co.uk ontact8 caesar7ama.co.uk

!

http://www.zama.co.uk/

http://www.zama.co.uk/

how to play jazz guitar part iii. essential_altered_scales_by_andy_drudy

Documents