Jazz minor scale

The jazz minor scale or ascending melodic minor scale is a derivative of the melodic minor scale, except only the ascending form of the scale is used. As the name implies, it is primarily used in jazz^{[citation needed]}, although it may be found in other types of music as well. It may be derived from the major scale with a minor third,^[1] making it a synthetic scale, and features a dominant seventh chord on the fifth degree (V) like the harmonic minor scale.^[2] It can also be derived from the diatonic Dorian mode with a major seventh.

Ascending melodic minor scale

Modes	I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII
Component pitches
C, D, E♭, F, G, A, B
Qualities
Number of pitch classes	7
Forte number	7-34
Complement	5-34

Thus, the jazz minor scale can be represented by the following notation:

1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

The intervals between the notes of the jazz minor scale follow the sequence below:

whole, half, whole, whole, whole, whole, half

Jazz theory

The scale may be considered to originate in the use of extensions beginning with the seventh in jazz and thus the necessity to, "chromatically raise the diatonic 7th to create a stable, tonic sound," rather than use a minor seventh chord, associated with ii, for tonic.^[3]

The jazz minor scale contains all of the altered notes of the dominant seventh chord whose root is a semitone below the scale's tonic: "In other words to find the correct jazz minor scale for any dominant 7th chord simply use the scale whose tonic note is a half step higher than the root of the chord."^[1] For example, the G⁷ chord and A♭ jazz minor scale: the A♭ scale contains the root, third, seventh, and the four most common alterations of G⁷. This scale may be used to resolve to C in the progression G⁷–C (over G⁷, which need not be notated G^{7♭5♯5♭9♯9}).^[1]

 

Jazz minor scale on A♭ with notes related to G⁷ chord alterations. Play^ⓘ

 

A♭ jazz minor scale over G⁷ resolving to C.^[1] Play^ⓘ

It is used over a minor major seventh chord.^[4] See: chord-scale system. The scale also easily allows diatonic chord progressions, for example a I−vi−ii−V progression:^[4]

|: Cm^M7

Am^7♭5

| Dm^7

G^7♭13

:|

Play^ⓘ

Chord structure

Triad qualities

The triads built on each scale degree follow a distinct pattern. The roman numeral analysis is shown in parentheses below.

 

• 1st: minor triad (i)
• 2nd: minor triad (ii)
• 3rd: Augmented triad (III⁺)
• 4th: Major triad (IV)
• 5th: Major triad (V⁷)
• 6th: diminished triad (vi^o)
• 7th: diminished triad (vii^o)

Seventh chord qualities

The seventh chords built on each scale degree follow a distinct pattern. The roman numeral analysis is shown in parentheses below.

 

• 1st: minor-major seventh chord (i^♮7)
• 2nd: minor seventh chord (ii⁷)
• 3rd: Augmented major seventh chord (III⁺⁷)
• 4th: Dominant seventh chord (IV⁷)
• 5th: Dominant seventh chord (V⁷)
• 6th: half-diminished seventh chord (vi^ø7)
• 7th: half-diminished seventh chord (vii^ø7)

Modes of jazz minor scale

See also: Mode (music)

The jazz minor scale, like the diatonic scale, has seven modes. These modes are derived by treating a different note as the tonic.

Name(s)	Tonic relative to jazz minor scale	Interval sequence	Scale with only E♭	Scale on C
Jazz minor	I	W–H–W–W–W–W–H	C–D–E♭–F–G–A–B	C–D–E♭–F–G–A–B
Dorian ♭2 or Phrygian ♮6	II	H–W–W–W–W–H–W	D–E♭–F–G–A–B–C	C–D♭–E♭–F–G–A–B♭
Lydian augmented	III	W–W–W–W–H–W–H	E♭–F–G–A–B–C–D	C–D–E–F♯–G♯–A–B
Acoustic scale, Lydian dominant, Mixolydian ♯4, or Overtone	IV	W–W–W–H–W–H–W	F–G–A–B–C–D–E♭	C–D–E–F♯–G–A–B♭
Aeolian dominant, Mixolydian ♭6, Descending melodic major, or Hindu	V	W–W–H–W–H–W–W	G–A–B–C–D–E♭–F	C–D–E–F–G–A♭–B♭
Half-diminished, Locrian ♮2, or Aeolian ♭5	VI	W–H–W–H–W–W–W	A–B–C–D–E♭–F–G	C–D–E♭–F–G♭–A♭–B♭
Altered scale, Super Locrian, or Altered dominant scale	VII	H–W–H–W–W–W–W	B–C–D–E♭–F–G–A	C–D♭–E♭–F♭–G♭–A♭–B♭

The names of these scales are variations of the names used for some of the modes of the diatonic major scale, for example the Phrygian ♯6, the second mode of the melodic minor, is named so because it is the same as the Phrygian mode of the major scale with a major sixth.

Relationship to diatonic modes

Each mode of the jazz minor scale can be considered to be related to two diatonic modes, with one note of the diatonic mode either sharped or flatted according to the table below, which is arranged in fifths.

Mode	Sharped diatonic	Flatted diatonic
Altered	Ionian ♯1	Locrian ♭4
Acoustic	Mixolydian ♯4	Lydian ♭7
Jazz minor	Dorian ♯7	Ionian ♭3
Aeolian dominant	Aeolian ♯3	Mixolydian ♭6
Dorian ♭2	Phrygian ♯6	Dorian ♭2
Half-diminished	Locrian ♯2	Aeolian ♭5
Lydian augmented	Lydian ♯5	Phrygian ♭1

Intervals from tonic

Each mode of the jazz minor scale features different intervals of notes from the tonic according to the table below, which is arranged in order of brightness.

Mode	Intervals with respect to the tonic
	unison	second	third	fourth	fifth	sixth	seventh	octave
Lydian augmented	perfect	major	major	augmented	augmented	major	major	perfect
Acoustic					perfect		minor
Jazz minor			minor	perfect			major
Aeolian dominant			major			minor	minor
Dorian ♭2		minor	minor			major
Half-diminished		major			diminished	minor
Altered		minor		diminished

See also

• Modes of the melodic minor scale
• Harmonic minor scale
• Natural minor scale
• Major scale

References

1. Berle, Arnie (1983). How to Create and Develop a Jazz Sax Solo, p.78. ISBN 978-1-56222-088-4.
2. Overthrow, David and Ferguson, Tim (2007). The Total Jazz Bassist, p.41. ISBN 978-0-7390-4311-0.
3. Berg, Shelly (2005). Alfred's Essentials of Jazz Theory, Book 3, p.90. ISBN 978-0-7390-3089-9.
4. Arnold, Bruce E. (2001). Music Theory Workbook for Guitar: Scale Construction, p.12. ISBN 978-1-890944-53-7.

Further reading

• R., Ken (2012). DOG EAR Tritone Substitution for Jazz Guitar, Amazon Digital Services, Inc., ASIN: B008FRWNIW