Greg Fishman's System for Creating Diminished Scales on V7b9 Chords

[@edwing1958]

Fantastic.I always found that whole step half step way to be a random way of thinking of it.

[@peterandrews7434]

Love this new approach to learning the diminished scale. It trains your ear to identify the different pitches. Much obliged.

[@davideastlee9983]

Thank you Greg... very clear and musical and appreciated. This is how a jazzman thinks...not a theoretician

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

You're welcome, David. So glad that you enjoyed the lesson. This is just one of more than 300 lessons available in my online course at: gregfishmanjazzstudios.com.

[@RockRabot007]

Wonderful system. Thanks.

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Glad you like it!

[@johnpanico5049]

So so helpful!!!

[@charlexguitar]

Great lesson profesor, saludos!

[@emuhanna]

Excellent.

[@OwntoneFilm]

Love your lessons Greg! This one is really helpful to me and makes so much sense to look at it this way. Thanks my man!

[@jamesjoyce6614]

Wow, THAT’S a lesson. So much to chew on! Thanks

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

You're welcome!

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Glad that you enjoyed it. This is just one of more than 300 lesson in my online course at gregfishmanjazzstudios.com. Please check it out when you have a chance. Thanks.

[@gerrycappuccio4186]

Great analysis of hearing & tasting the altered notes & sounds ! Bravo Greg !

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Thanks so much! This was just one lesson out of more than 350 lessons. Please check out my full online video course at: gregfishmanjazzstudios.com

[@andresvalencia7716]

Thank you for the tips, that was so useful. I appreciate it.

[@hecateswolf6007]

Thank you Greg great lessons

[@fluteluc1]

will get on that

[@luminarechristmas]

LOVE this, Thanks Greg!

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Thanks so much! This was just one lesson out of more than 350 lessons. Please check out my full online video course at: gregfishmanjazzstudios.com

[@SidLaw500]

This is great Greg, thanks!

[@bigtreefrog]

Fantastic explanation Greg... You can taste the harmony :-)

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Thanks so much! This was just one lesson out of more than 350 lessons. Please check out my full online video course at: gregfishmanjazzstudios.com

[@ginohernandez5143]

Thank you Greg!

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Thanks so much! This was just one lesson out of more than 350 lessons. Please check out my full online video course at: gregfishmanjazzstudios.com

[@FrictionFive]

Great practice approach!

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Thanks so much! This was just one lesson out of more than 350 lessons. Please check out my full online video course at: gregfishmanjazzstudios.com

[@neilripsch6624]

Thanks Greg!

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Thanks so much! This was just one lesson out of more than 350 lessons. Please check out my full online video course at: gregfishmanjazzstudios.com

[@milobenn]

Really helpful, thanks!

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

You're welcome!

[@chelillingworth9466]

Would you also think of the altered scale the same way? would you use the same method with students? I think this is interesting cuz I think with the altered scale I definitely am thinking about the melodic minor half step up but I am also always thinking about the chord tones and tensions. And I've been going back and forth about how to teach this to my high school jazz band kids. Yeah I think I would do that the same way right? I like how you say you're going to have instant access because I always like to teach thinking about having everything being accessible immediately.

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

This approach will work well for the altered scale, as well. One thing I point out (by demonstrating the sound difference) between diminished and the altered scale, is the fact that you're trading away the perfect 5th and 13th and in exchange you're getting the G# (Ab)...one darker sounding note, which also makes the scale asymmetrical. To use this approach with the altered scale, just play the initial chord with the #5, then add the b9, #9, #11 and then the root at the top. I'm glad that you enjoyed the lesson. I have a full online course available at gregfishmanjazzstudios.com all the best, Greg Fishman

[@Abby-zi4xi]

Beginner question here: Why isn't the flat 9th and sharp 9th called the flat 2nd and sharp 2nd? Same with the F being the 11th instead of 4th etc. Thank you.

[@501stComandos]

If you stack thirds from the root of a 7th chord this is the sequence: 1,3,5,7,9,11,13. The notes above the 7th are called “extensions”. When you notate a 9th,11th, or 13th chord you are indicating you want to include that specific extension, or altered extension (b9, #11, b13, etc.) as well as the Root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th of the chord. A C13 sounds very different than a C6. I find using the piano to study harmony and hearing the subtle deferences is very useful

[@Abby-zi4xi]

Thank you.

[@louisthompson1020]

Love the way you break down harmony to the hobbist muscian.

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Thanks, Louis! Please consider joining my video lesson course. This was just one of over 350 essential videos for jazz saxophone and improv. You can check it out here: gregfishmanjazzstudios.com

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Thanks so much! This was just one lesson out of more than 350 lessons. Please check out my full online video course at: gregfishmanjazzstudios.com

[@mikejolkovski6786]

Very sensible approach -- learning the altered tones in terms of the function and color they add. But the main takeaway I got from this video is that the precariously balanced alto in the background is freaking me out.

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Glad that you enjoyed the video. Please check out my full course with over 350 lessons and pdf practice notes on my site. Btw, that alto was well balanced and it stayed there until I ended up selling it, about four years ago. It was a 55k mk vi. I recorded my etudes 2 book with that alto, but all of my other books feature my factory silver early Yamaha 62 with the J guard. What a great horn. Thanks for watching. You can sign up for my full course at: gregfishmanjazzstudios.com

[@LoneBear-one]

Dominant 7 flat 9🤔🎶🎵🎷

[@LoneBear-one]

Where were you when I needed you like right now…Stevie Wonder 👂

[@robinchallis1312]

.. and you're even better off thinking it's two diminished arpeggios weaving together: the C dim arpeggio (C Eb F# A) and the C# dim arpeggio (C# E G Bb) .. how 'bout that?! It's not a scale at all ;-)

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

There are so many different ways to think of this. I would not agree that the two diminished chords together is any better. Just a different system. Yes, I was aware of it when I made this video, but the system I’m showing worked best for my students. The notes are all chord tones, anyway. Root, flat nine, Sharp nine, three, Sharp four, five, six (13), flat, seven, root.

[@harrisonmccomb1511]

I agree Greg. You can also think of it as all of the minor and/or major triads of the fully diminished chord, two minor tetrachords and tritone apart, 4 sets of alternating tritones, etc. but I like the approach of naming/singing chord tones (b9, 13, etc) for ear training purposes and getting the students to actually hear the harmony! Finding all of the other symmetries can unlock other interesting melodic ideas too.

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Hi Harrison, Michael Brecker told me personally, that he could spend the rest of his life working on the diminish scale and not unlock all of the possibilities. There are so many different ways to look at it, and so many different combinations of triads and intervals present. It is an amazing Structure. I do think that it is most important that the aspiring player learned to differentiate the sounds of all of the cord tones, including the alterations, by ear, so that they are not simply doing a theory exercise when working with the scale. Once their ear gets a hold of it, you can do all of the things that you’re talking about with the triad groupings in many other intervals, as well. I particularly like working with major seventh intervals within the scale.

[@danielabdelnour8232]

This guy is the best

[@davekeen1963]

Again really good advice This guy's really hip...

[@saxcowboy]

Great Lesson Greg! I would love to have you teach me sometime.

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Thanks so much! This was just one lesson out of more than 350 lessons. Please check out my full online video course at: gregfishmanjazzstudios.com

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

I'd be happy to work with you. I offer online private lessons. You can email me at: [e-mail] Looking forward to working with you.

[@kchappelle]

Thanks Greg. 🎉

[@gregfishmanjazzstudios]

Very welcome