Whole step/half step diminished scales are the same configuration of notes except that you start the scale with a whole step rather than a half step. Patterns, scales & licks for intermediate to advanced players. whole steps. Find guitar scales using graphic interface. Hopefully you can see the half-whole diminished scale is the better fit for a dominant 7th chord because it contains the guide tones of a seventh chord. A whole step/half step diminished scale applies to diminished chords. Scale - Diminished 1,2,b3,4,b5,b6,6,7 FULL-th pattern Root note - D Guitar Tuning: Standard - E-A-D-G-B-E Due to this symmetry, one quickly sees that in fact, there are only three different diminished scales; each of the three scales may be definted in terms of four different roots: In other words, the Db, E, G, and Bb diminished scales use the same eight pitches. Master the bebop scale and its applications and you’ll have a technique that you can apply to Dominant, minor, half-diminished, and sus chords. In the video I’ve used the example of a Bb7 chord. The diminished pattern uses a lot of the minor intervals. I like to think of these kinds of scales as mental gymnastics, not only for the player, but for the listener. At that time, I was studying a book by Nicolas Slonimsky called Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns. Dominant Diminished Scale Pattern. Here is an example of an arpeggiated diminished scale pattern that I featured in the video. Its a symmetrical scale and thats what makes this possible. The scales and patterns shown in this lesson are based on the half-whole versions of the diminished scales. And as we’ll show you below…even ii-V’s. The dominant diminished scale, also known as the half whole scale, is an eight note scale with a numeric formula of 1-♭ 2-♯ 2-3-♯ 4-5-6-♭ 7-8/1. This scale is primarily used in jazz music and works well together with alternate seventh chords. Here I have mostly followed the convention of sharps ascending and flats descending, but have used B instead of Cb. 2. The first one is G diminished half whole scale. Here is one of many diminished patterns. To learn the triads and have material to make lines it is practical to learn the inversions of the triads: Here are 3 of the 4 string sets. Sheet Music: Jazz Piano Lesson #46 - Diminished Scale Workout I've mentioned many times before on this blog how big a fan I am of technical exercises. I feel like my playing is at it's best when I have some sort of daily technique routine. Pattern 3. play notes. In the C Diminished Scale this would be C - Eb - Gb - A (Cdim7) and D - F - Ab - B (Ddim7). It is a symmetrical scale in that it follows a distinct pattern of steps, those being whole step, half step in a repeating pattern, not to be confused with the dominant diminished scale which follows a half step, whole step pattern. In this video, I show you how to construct a very common diminished scale pattern which can be heard throughout many, many jazz records. It is a symmetrical scale in that it follows a distinct pattern of steps, those being half step, whole step in a repeating pattern, not to be confused with the diminished scale which follows a whole step, half step pattern. The interval pattern is 1 - b9 - #9 - 3 - #11 (or b5) - 5 - 13 (6) - b7. For instance, Pattern 1 will correspond to a C chord. The diminished scale and how to use this scale building patterns from the diminished scale has always been a bit unclear to me. It is a symmetrical scale in that it follows a distinct pattern, constructed from a repeated sequence of intervals (major second, minor second). The Diminished scale is a scale that you have probably heard of and you know that it is a symmetrical scale and most of the time when people talk about using it then you get all these patterns that repeat. The Diminished scale is an important scale used in Jazz but can also be used in blues. Also, try searching for more diminished scale patterns to apply, or come up with your own. So, you will be able to use the cool diminished patterns you learn over dominant 7th chords as well as diminished chords. In this page we're going to discuss a common jazz scale called the the Octatonic scale. If you look closely, you may notice that the A dominant diminished scale has exactly the same notes as the C, Eb, and F# dominant diminished scales. The Half/Whole Diminished Scale(C Db Eb E F# G A Bb) should be memorized before attempting memorization of the patterns below. So I’m gonna just play through one of the examples on page 30 for the E diminished scale or G, B flat D flat diminished scales. If your into jazz this is one you need to learn. To help dig deeper into this important scale, this lesson will cover one of the most commonly used dominant diminished scale patterns in jazz. Finger pattern can be several ways first, third, fourth next string first, second, fourth slide up a half step, next string first, second which is the octave. Since the diminished scale is symmetrical and you can moving everything around in minor thirds we can also see that if we have a G major triad, we will also have Bb, Db and E major triads. First lets look at the scale as a shape. There are plenty of lead sheets where you simply see a dominant seventh chord. Two Scales As One . Actually they are basically the same scale, but depending on which one you intend to play. This means that the scales are constructed using a repeated pattern of half and h w h w etc. Unlike the modes, the diminished scale is built from a continuously symmetrical intervallic sequence as each four-note group progresses. So we are going to do both of them as they are separated scales. Once again we can see a pattern in the dominant diminished scales. Diminished Seventh Chords. 0000001290 00000 n stream If your into jazz this is one you need to learn. The diminished pattern diminishes the 3rd, 5th, 6th, m7 and 8. But for, the problem was always that melodies with repeating patterns like that don’t sound that great. The diminished scale is a symmetrical scale, constructed from a repeated sequence of intervals (major second, minor second). Some overall characteristics: There are 9 notes that make up a diminished scale instead of eight. Make those neurons pop. As long as you land on a chord tone in the next measure, you should be good to go. How to practise a diminished scale. the intervals repeat in a pattern) Because it is a symmetrical scale (and much like the diminished chord) there are only three unique diminished scales: C = E♭ = G♭ = A diminished scale; D♭ = E = G = B♭ diminished scale Diminished scales are symmetrical. Pattern 2. play notes. We are going to talk about two diminished scale patterns that have whole and whole half. Diminished scale The diminished scale is an eight note scale. Randy Hunter. Diminished Scales. The diminished scale is an eight-note entity, as shown in FIGURE 2. Almost every exercise I work on is played and sung through all twelve keys. I first learned about the double diminished scale in the 1970s, inspired by pianists like Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. It can also be used for fusion and heavy metal. ... however while learning the basic scales and diminished patterns it’s easier to use whatever seems simplest. Here is a pretty easy way to combine the usage of tritones on dominant chords and the playing of a diminished scale or pattern to compliment it. The half-whole diminished scale (the diminished scale) known as "dominant diminished scale" is constructed by repeating a pattern of half and whole steps. Diminished Scale Patterns For Improvisation. It displayed countless chords alongside scales that corresponded to them and connected dominant seventh chords with the double diminished scale. “Whenever you see or hear one of the chords from above…” Jazz is aural. The next way you can use the bebop scale is over the ii-V-I progression. The diminished scale, also known as the whole half scale, is an eight note scale with a numeric formula of 1-2-♭ 3-4-♭ 5-♯ 5-6-7-8/1. I decided to delve into this so I could better understand and use these scale and patterns in my music. 3 Functions Of Diminished Chords . IMPORTANT NOTE! Diminished Scale Patterns Diminished scales are divided into two categories: half-whole diminished scales, and whole-half Example 1 diminished scales. Also, I want to emphasize what I said above. Dealing with diminished scales naturally leads to diminished chords. These CAGED scale patterns help you learn the diminished scale as it relates to standard CAGED chords. You might start at different points. it has 8 notes) A Symmetrical Scale (i.e. Both diminished scales have a repeating pattern: half step – whole step and whole step – half step. Using the bebop scale over ii-V’s. Pattern 1. play notes. Here is a diminished scale starting on a Bb and beginning with a half tone. In classic music any music scale that contains eight notes is called an Octatonic scale. Home » Piano Theory » The Diminished Scale. It is generally played over dominant 7 chords (7b9). Ein anderer weit verbreiteter Name ist auch "symmetrical diminished", "dominant diminished" oder einfach nur "diminished" Scale, da die Tonleiter auch über verminderte Akkorde gespielt werden kann, doch dazu später mehr. They are symmetrical. The Diminished Scale is: An Octatonic Scale (i.e. Half-Whole Diminished Scale (Auxiliary Diminished Blues) If you start with a half-step, the pattern is hwhwhwhw. In this "5-minute masterclass" we’re going to take a look into the diminished chord and scale. I don’t always think about the scale starting on the root note. Once again, we will consider all of the equivalent scales: A, C, Eb and F# dominant diminished are equivalent. Diminished harmony works as a ‘base’ or a ‘spine’ to all harmonic movement. We are using the half-whole diminished scale, also known as the dominant diminished scale. I guess the best place to start is to define what a diminished scale is. Its one of these scales that just sound like jazz. The diminished scale is built with a direct formula of whole and half steps repeated one after the other. 0000000990 00000 n endstream endobj /Gs2 11 0 R /Gs1 12 0 R >> /Font /F1.0 6 0 R /F2.1 8 0 R /F3.0 Michael Brecker's diminished scale pattern based on major and minor triads. Otherwise, this may be practiced by younger players as simply a written exercise for technique. Pattern 4. play notes . Patterns in improvisation are the "catch phrases" we all use, some more than others. Half/Whole Diminished Scale Starting on Bb. The diminished scale pattern simply goes like this whole step half step whole step half step repeating this all thevway up and back. This scale is great over a dominant chord, particularly a 13(b9) chord. There are plenty of resources to find these. The Diminished Scale is built upon two diminished seventh chords. As a general rule of thumb, you can think of the . 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