Improve Your Improvisation

Last lesson, Sign Before Symbol, we learned that even if you know the key signature, you still don’t know what key you are in because one key signature represents two keys: major and relative minor. And even after you analyze the song and know the key, you still won’t be able to improvise because to do that, you need to know what scale to play. As we will learn in this lesson, that’s not always a simple choice.

Let’s begin with the traditional view of music which starts with one scale and then proceeds to unfold and spell many arpeggio and chord harmonies. Here’s an example, the C major scale is spelled in letters: C D E F G A B and in scale degree tone numbers: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. With this scale you can spell a C major triad: C E G, which is 1 3 5 in the first octave and 8 10 12 in the second octave. Now, from this elementary beginning we can introduce the idea that improvisation is the enfolding of one chord into many scales. In other words, improvisation is the traditional unfolding music process reversed in an enfolded retrograde manner. Said one more time in a different way, in traditional music the scale is known first and from that known scale you spell the harmony, but with improvisational music, the harmony is known first and then you are free to choose a scale that you feel sounds good with that harmony. The choice is yours!

Now, before we begin, let’s review the circle four-two major scale as tone numbers.



Here is the circle four-two major arpeggio and the circle four-one major chord.



There are many scales that may be played with the major chord. In fact, any scale that contains the tone numbers 3 and 5 may be used. Remember, there are no right or wrong sounds in improvisation, only the sounds that you like. In other words, you are free to choose the sounds of any scale you wish. It’s all about you!
The following are but a few of the many scales and modes that may be played with the major chord. For this lesson, think of a mode as just another altered scale. In the beginning a scale may sound unfamiliar and weird to you, that’s okay, just keep playing that scale until it becomes familiar. At that point, you will begin to incorporate it into your improvisations.

Major pentatonic: 1 2 3 5 6
Scriabin: 1 ♭2 3 5 6
East Indian: 1 3 4 5 ♭7
Ionian mode: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Lydian mode: 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
Mixolydian mode: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7
Melodic minor lydian mode: 1 2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7
Melodic minor mixolydian mode: 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Harmonic minor aeolian mode: 1 ♯2 3 ♯4 5 6 7
Hungarian major: 1 ♯2 3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7
Byzantine: 1 ♭2 3 4 5 ♭6 7
Hundusian: 1 2 3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Octotonic hybrid: 1 2 3 4 ♭5 5 6 7
Symmetric hybrid: 1 ♭2 ♭3 3 ♭5 5 6 ♭7
Novem hybrid: 1 2 3 4 ♭5 5 6 ♭7 7
Taurus hybrid: 1 ♭2 ♭3 3 4 5 ♯5 6 7
OverMoto hybrid: 1 ♭2 2 3 4 ♭5 5 ♭6 6 ♭7 7

Here is a simple harmony progression for you to apply your new major scales knowledge.



The following is the circle four-two minor arpeggio and the circle four-one minor chord.



Let’s discover a few scales and modes that may be played with this minor chord.
Minor pentatonic: 1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7
Balinese: 1 ♭2 ♭3 5 ♭6
Japanese Hiro-Joshi: 1 2 ♭3 5 ♭6
Hawaiian: 1 2 ♭3 5 6
Scriabin minor: 1 ♭2 ♭3 5 6
Dorian mode: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
Phrygian mode: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Melodic minor ionian mode: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 7
Melodic minor dorian mode: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
Harmonic minor ionian mode: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7
Harmonic minor lydian mode: 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7
Natural minor ionian mode: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Natural minor lydian mode: 1 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7
Natural minor mixolydian mode: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Neopolitan minor: 1 ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 7
Hungarian minor: 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 7
Moroccan: 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 ♭6 ♭7
Romanian: 1 2 ♭3 ♯4 5 6 ♭7
Taurus hybrid: 1 ♭2 ♭3 3 4 5 ♯5 6 7

Here is a simple harmony progression for you to apply your new minor scales knowledge.



The following is the circle four-two suspended arpeggio and the circle four-one suspended chord.



Now, let's reveal a few scales and modes that may be played with the suspended chord, tones 1 ♯3 5 (one, sharp three, five).

Scriabin Sus: 1 b2 ♯3 5 6
Japanese Kumoi-Joshi: 1 b2 ♯3 5 b6
Japanese Kokin-Joshi: 1 b2 ♯3 5 b7
Korea Ujo: 1 2 ♯3 5 6
Egyptian: 1 2 ♯3 5 b7
Korea P'yongjo: 1 2 ♯3 5 6 b7
Pacific Sus: 1 2 ♯3 ♯4 5 6 b7
Lydian Sus: 1 2 ♯3 ♯4 5 6 7
Morollian: 1 2 ♯3 ♯4 5 b6 b7
Tarrian: 1 ♯2 ♯3 ♯4 5 6 7
Sharno: 1 b2 ♯3 ♯4 5 b6 b7
Diamond Sus: 1 b2 ♯3 ♯4 5 6 7
Enigmatic hybrid: 1 b2 ♯3 ♯4 5 ♯5 ♯6 7
Romanian Sus: 1 2 ♯3 ♯4 5 6 b7
Belmontian hybrid: 1 b2 2 ♯3 b5 5 b6 6 b7 7

Finally, here is a simple harmony progression for you to apply your new suspended scales knowledge.



Be sure to look at pages 296 and 297 of Bass EncycloMedia to see some of the other scale and mode possibilities. And check out page 10 of the Bass EncycloMedia to learn more triads.

‘Til next time, have some scale fun, no matter what chord you’re playing... I’ll be listening!