Piano scales

Scales source and guide for musicians

Bebop Scales

The bebop scales are mostly used in jazz. You will probably notice the close relationship between the Major Bebop Scale and the ordinary Major Scale. The only difference is one extra note, which can be compared with the blue note added to the Pentatonic to get a blues scale. Although we don’t call it a blue note in this case, but a passing tone. As the pictures below show, the passing note can be found between the 5th and 6th notes in the scale.

The Major and Minor Bebop scales can be used for improvising/soloing in jazz. The most straightforward approach is to play a scale with the same root note as the key in the jazz tune.

Perhaps you also notice that it is a sort of merging between the Natural Minor and Harmonic Minor regarding their relative major scales. For example, C Major Bebop Scale includes the same notes as in both A Natural Minor and A Harmonic Minor.

Major Bebop Scales

Here are pictures and notes of the Major Bebop Scale. See also Minor Bebop Scales.

Major Bebop Scales overview
C: C, D, E, F, G, G#, A, B, C
C#/Db: C#, D#, F, F#, G#, A, A#, C, C#
D: D, E, F#, G, A, A#, B, C#, D
D#/Eb: D#, F, G, G#, A#, B, C, D, D#
E: E, F#, G#, A, B, C, C#, D#, E
F: F, G, A, Bb, C, Db, D, E, F
F#/Gb: F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D, D#, F, F#
G: G, A, B, C, D, D#, E, F#, G
G#/Ab: G#, A#, C, C#, D#, E, F, G, G#
A: A, B, C#, D, E, F, F#, G#, A
A#/Bb: A#, C, D, Eb, F, F#, G, A, A#
B: B, C#, D#, E, F#, G, G#, A#, B

Intervals: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6b, 6, 7
Semi-notes: 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 2 - 1
Formula: Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Half, Half, Whole, Half

Backing track

G Major Bebop Cool Jazz

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Minor Bebop Scales

Here are pictures and notes of the Minor Bebop Scale.

Minor Bebop Scales overview
C: C, D, Eb, E, F, G, A, Bb, C
C#/Db: C#, D#, E, F, F#, G#, A#, B, C#
D: D, E, F, Gb, G, A, B, C, D
D#/Eb: D#, F, F#, G, G#, A#, C, C#, D#
E: E, Gb, G, Ab, A, B, Db, D, E
F: F, G, Ab, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F
F#/Gb: F#, G#, A, A#, B, C#, D#, E, F#
G: G, A, Bb, B, C, D, E, F, G
G#/Ab: G#, A#, B, C, C#, D#, F, F#, G#
A: A, B, C, Db, D, E, Gb, G, A
A#/Bb: A#, C, C#, D, D#, F, G, G#, A#
B: B, C#, D, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B

Intervals: 1, 2, 3b, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7b
Semi-notes: 2 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2
Formula: Whole, Half, Half, Half, Whole, Whole, Half, Whole

Additional scales

In addition, there are two other variations of the bebop scale: Bebop Dominant and Bebop Dorian. Bebop Dorian has a flattened third note, and the interval is 1, 2, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7b, 7. All these scales are great tools for learning to play jazz.