The Bebop Scale: Everything You Need To Know!

[@rodolfoamaralguitar]

The key element of bebop scales is that they train the ears and fingers to clearly outline chords using a scale. This is useful for many beginner to intermediate players (especially those from a rock background) who tend to use scales randomly or outline one chord on top of another without realizing it. For instance, if the chord is CMaj7 and the player plays D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D in 8th notes starting on beat 1, they are outlining a Dm7 without even realizing it. I agree that it is rare to find a full 8 note sequential bebop scale in the Omnibook, but if you think in terms of fragments (like 7 to 1, 9 to 3, 7 to 3, etc.), you'll find many of them.

[@cbolt4492]

Great video 📸

[@diego2246]

I’ve been studying bebop guitar for a couple of years and there was never something like a bebop scale. Everything goes down to understanding the grades of each scale and knowing how to play with them. Thanks for the lesson!

[@brothercaleb]

Exactly

[@DonVal86]

One of your best videos yet.

[@dkwvt13]

I have used chromatic passing or lead tones for years, I was introduced to the concept in about 1970 in HS jazz band. I never heard the term "BeBop Scale" until much later. I think this is a very valuable unpacking of said scale and it's underlying and much broader concepts. Thank You...! B-)

[@augustotannus27]

I think the bebop scale has more to do with teaching guys that came from Rock and Metal like myself. After some 2 years of study I came to a conclusion. If you think chord tones and extensions instead of scales, you'll have a ease to play the jazz standards, and make it sound jazzy. The truth is, there are no wrong notes if you know how to play them in the right places. So just free yourself and try to do experiments based on what you already know.

[@rillloudmother]

you can even put them in the, 'wrong places,' as long as you resolve it nicely.

[@t0dd707]

Great lesson."the bassist is already playing the root." I like you. I'm subscribing.

[@ryanedwardmusic]

Bebop scale is part of bebop learning method. It's not a scale in the usual sense - mixolydian is the scale. With the bebop scale you supposed to learn it starting on every note, including extensions and upbeats. When you can run the scales (there's a major bebop etc) over the changes, you can use that to insert licks, deflections, arpeggios, to create new lines and resolutions at different points in the scale. When you build up enough vocabulary, the bebop scale fades away and you're just playing bebop.

[@RichieZellon]

Absolutely!!

[@rauljordan5759]

instablaster...

[@sega62s]

2:35 is his best emotions when giving tips 🍻

[@richardcarr5241]

nailed it... barry doesn't refer to the bebop scale.

[@isoEH]

Nice! A very clear view of the structure. Liked the observations you made regarding chord tones on the beat and the vertical vs horizontal points of view.

[@RichieZellon]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@guitarplayer8627]

Thank you Great teacher Richie Zellon

[@samasuncion]

Thank you. I'm beginning to absorb it.

[@jjamesmcguire6343]

Nice lesson and well explained to further cement something that seems complicated at first, but really isn't. I've probably been using it subconsciously for years because I solo using a lot of chromaticism to begin with. I just think about the arpeggio chord tones and important color tones, so I think of the 6 and 9, of course being the best. Stay away from the root and 5th and just blow over them as passing tones. Same with the use of the major 7 in the Bebop scale. I just think of it as another color extension to hint at in your chops while you're improvising. It just takes years of practicing to get it together to where you're happy with using that approach in you're soloing.

[@jjamesmcguire6343]

The concept you were explaining that I'll need to peruse was the use of some modes with that bebop concept in mind. That's a lot different approach than I've thought of before, so cool, I will investigate that info for sure! As a player, even if you know most of it, it gives you're head and ears a different tonal direction, so therefore you come up with lots more new chops! Thanks for a fun and informative exploration!

[@user-hu4gr1bo5g]

Wow !!! Very useful to know. Thanks so much.

[@hycus4292]

Richie, good work!

[@fleet4fingers]

You can start with the dominant but then apply that half step movement to the other modes. Then you have the major or ionian bebop with the half step between five and six,Ietc. If you remove the root you'll have the Dorian Bebop and then keep on until all bebop modes are acheived.

[@charliebarredafriends61]

Good job explaining Bebop Richie! I've been looking into info for Bebop since I have a gig coming up in which the Organizer/Producer of the concert Roger Glenn Vibraphonist/flutist/sax is honoring Vibraphonist Terry Gibbs (he's 97). Roger does these type of concerts every two years or so and features 4 Vibes players (including himself) with and Allstar rhythm section. I started by reading a Jazz theory book by Mark Levine, whom I had playing in 4 tracks on my CD album 2012. I had the book for the longest time and just opened it and voila there's a reference of the Bebop scale with the half step between the root octave and the 7th, that can be played over a ll-V. Also mentions the half step between the 5 and 6 degree of the scale on a major and minor scales. Mark Levine passed away recently so I'm honoring him too by playing his song "Linda Chicana". Mark Levine and Roger Glenn along with Robb Fisher who is going to be playing bass in the concert were part of the Cal Tjader group that recorded on 1981 Grammy Award Winning album "La Onda Va Bien" - which got me interested in Latin Jazz as I was studying music here in San Francisco. Good connecting with you here, old friend. God Bless.

[@RichieZellon]

Thanks Charlie!!! I remember Mark very well. We chatted online and traded CDs through the mail back in the early 2000's. I still have his CD called "Hey It's Me". Love his Latin version of Green Dolphin Street! I finally had the opportunity to meet him in person 5 years later when he came to do a clinic at FIU where I was teaching. Very nice cat, great player and teacher! RIP

[@gearoiddom]

Quite educational indeed.

[@cf23figueroa23]

Great lesson, with great foundational information and practical applications. To my fellow jazz guitar students, I am truly enjoying Richie’s method he mentions where without thinking of it, by playing the arpeggios over the changes with the various approach notes, I am in fact playing the key portions of the bebop scale by way of passing tones, and it does sound pretty cool! Thanks Richie.

[@boyieizkala3378]

The secret of phrasing and theory of modes. Thanks to your video lesson

[@young0804]

Great lesson like always. Saludos!

[@rccarsandmusic2641]

Enjoy video's I personally use the 3 versions of the soul scale, full, Maj, and minor, they are more Melodic.

[@shayne881]

So is there any use in memorizing the modes of this eight note scale? I just figured them out and have the impression that it might be easier and more spontaneous to play a chromatic line on the less important notes of each subsequent mode. The Lydian has an augmented third for example...but I sometimes play the sharp ninth or the flat thirteenth.. Thanks for the great lesson

[@Ericstlaurent]

Very clearly explained sir, thank you!

[@robertrohwer6965]

Great stuff Richie..... thanks!

[@jeffjfindley4802]

You are a marvelous teacher. :)

[@RichieZellon]

Thank you Jeff! 😃

[@charlieluz830]

I came from "Cowboy Bebop" awesome intro called "Tank!"

[@aliyarici]

Amazing 💙👌 also l heard coltrane using a bebop scale in the recording oleo on the album relaxing with miles davis quintet, however l really don't think he though of it the way we did. I think it was more to go to a specific note or place he wanted

[@RichieZellon]

I have no doubt!

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

I used to find modes very difficult. But D Dorian, E Phrygian, F lydian, G mixylydian, A Aolian, B Locrian. are extremely easy D to D using C notes. Is D E F G A B C D.. D Dorian. Using the C scale for learning is easy on the piano. But looking at notes of D Dorian and comparing to D Major or D Ionian is a choice D E F# G A B C# D. D Major D E F G A B C D D Dorian Scale Degrees below of D Dorian compared to D Major. 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 (1or 8)

[@andreaszeug3692]

play all the notes you have over a dominant chord !!!

[@NelsonRiverosMusic]

Great lesson Richie. Do you have an example of using the b9 Bebop Scale? I've gone back to work on this. I discovered that when starting in the b7 of the V chord to the I, you can't use the Maj7. Otherwise you won't end up on a chord tone of the I. Example F7- starting done on the b7: Eb-D-C-Bb-A-Gb-F-Eb-D ending on C 9th of Bbmaj7. Omitting the E natural. Just wondering you thoughts on this, Thank you

[@RichieZellon]

Thanks Nelson! Unfortunately like I state in the lesson, I'm personally not a big believer in the "bebop scale" but instead view it as a regular scale with an added chromatic passing tone between 2 consecutive notes. I believe this procedure can be and should be experimented with using ANY 7 note scale. That said, the b9 bebop scale you demonstrate for me is just a Mixolydian with a b2 which is what they called it at Berklee and the NEC. It doesn't have any chromatic passing tone which is characteristic of all the so called 8 note "bebop scales". Also, it is not a mode of any of the common scales (major, nat min, harm min or mel min). But regardless of what you call it or its origin, I believe that if it works in whatever musical application you want to use it, that's what truly matters!!! :)

[@NelsonRiverosMusic]

@@RichieZellon Hi Richie your welcome! actually, I don’t know if it means when one has to believe it or not it’s just with exists :) so that on every downbeat, you are hitting a chord tone, which I believe you mentioned in the video. , You still have a chromatic passing tone. It is still the bebop scale with the b9. if you are at G7, and you descend the scale from every degree of the chord; R, 3, 5th, she will hit a chromatic passing town. The only one where you don’t is, if you’re coming down from the F , the b7. I actually never worked on the Bebop scale until now! after all these years of playing. Its just another approach.

[@-MRN-]

Thank you. Still giving lessons?

[@RichieZellon]

Yes! bebopguitar.richiezellon.com/private-lessons

[@mantaszmenskis5619]

the mixolydian pattern backwards is the aeolian pattern. so do we play aeolian descending and ascending?

[@RichieZellon]

The application doesn't work that way!

[@bill3837]

i th ught it was a maj scale wiith a flat 6th passing tone

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

G Lydian Dominant Bebop scale. So if understand this correctly. G Lydian is the 4th mode of D Major. (D E F# G A B C# D), being D Maj. G A B C# D E F# G ( G Lydian)... So descending Lydian dominant. would be G F# F E D C# B A G.

[@RichieZellon]

You forgot the A

[@PIANOSTYLE100]

@@RichieZellon I have put the A in it. I do believe the G lydian ..has an A in it. I appreciate your feedback.

[@rorymckenzie8598]

Wes Montgomery was a bebop scale monster.

[@illegallystalked3119]

I think bebop scale is tupid. Isnt it basically a major scale with an added flat seventh as a passing tone? I mean thats how i always thought of it.

[@RichieZellon]

I agree...that's exactly what I said in the video.

[@illegallystalked3119]

@@RichieZellon well then i meant no disrespect. Just see this on a lot of vids, and never even knew there was a bebop scale. I played same damn thing just naturally and never associated it as a scale. But the 7th, and the third, i have used as a spot to add a hint of dissonance and never thought of adding the flat seven or flat third as a scale. Just more of semi dissonent passing tones.

[@director2bob]

If anyone wants a secret to learn Richies material much quicker than he teaches on his video? It's easy. Go to settings and change the speed to 1.5 times the speed. He is still super easy to understand and you just learned the same material and saved yourself 30% of your valuable time. Plus the guitar doesn't change key just BPMs. You are very welcome. 😎

[@farmpunk_dan]

The annoying thing about the bebop “scale” is that it seems like half the educators use #5/b6 as the chromatic tone and half use the flat 7 leading tone. I have always struggled with this as a concept.

[@RichieZellon]

From what you're stating here, it sounds like you didn't really watch the video or weren't paying attention. You are referring here to 2 different types of so called "bebop scales". The major scale uses a #5 as chromatic and the mixolydian uses the leading tone (and it's maj7 not b7 in order to function chromatically as a leading tone). Last of all, like I concluded in the video, that there is no such thing as a bebop scale. It's what many call a 7 note scale with a specific added chromatic tone, depending on the scale.

[@cbolt4492]

13:20 😎

[@fleet4fingers]

Check out Donna Lee, major bebop scale starting on the root when playing the melody.

[@sclogse1]

Wrong notes when practicing can give you ideas. Just keep the amp down.

[@diego2246]

And the guitar without strings

[@djesasono6237]

Too theoretical for me. I cant pass the test I think. Tnx

[@xushen540]

Maybe a good lesson, but as always, WAY too much talking before getting to the point. Richie, ist this really worth spending 21 minutes over? I concluded NO

[@RichieZellon]

Thanks for your feedback. Although I welcome all criticism as long as it is constructive, unless several viewers tend to make similar comments of a negative nature, I usually take it as an isolated comment and have to disagree. Let’s see...at the time of my reply there are over 7,000 views and you are the only one making a comment of this nature. You say I talk too much “as always” before getting to the point, which makes it a general statement regarding all my lessons. However, if you truly listen to what I am saying you’ll realize that except for a few introductory words, everything I say is relevant to the subject at hand. If you as an individual are not interested or are already aware of the details I give, that’s not to say that others aren’t. Not that I have a need to justify “talking too much”, but the truth is I choose to do it because I’ve been told on several occasions that the most valuable aspect of my teaching lies in my explanations and attention to detail. So to conclude, does a lesson titled “Everything you need to know about the Bebop Scale” deserve 21 minutes? I think it deserves way more!!

[@DonVal86]

He provided a Lesson Index. You couldn’t be more wrong.