The Dominant Bebop Scale | Best Guitar Diagrams Interval Patterns 2022

What’s The Dominant Bebop Scale?

The (Dominant) bebop scale as Mixolydian bebop scale is an eight note scale. It has the same notes as the Mixolydian scale including a chromatic passing tone, a major seventh, between the minor seventh (b7) and the tonic (1). The formula is root (1), second (2), major third (3), perfect fourth (4), perfect fifth (5), sixth (6), minor seventh (b7) and seventh (7).

7 Shapes

The next diagram show the 7 dominant (bebop) scale positions that cover the whole guitar neck. Each shape starts on a different step of the scale (except the passing tone).

How To Use The Dominant Bebop Scale?

The dominant bebop scale is obviously played over dominant chords, but can be used over the related minor seventh (II). Indeed, the dominant bebop scale has the same notes as the relative minor scale, the Dorian bebop scale.

Please note that the additional note (F#) of the D Dorian bebop scale is between the minor third (b3) and the fourth (4) whereas the additional note of the G dominant bebop scale is between the minor seventh (b7) and the tonic (1). These two supplementary notes are the same.

In its basic form the Mixolydian bebop scale starts on the downbeat so on a chord tone. You can practice both ascending and descending exercises.

Exercise 1 on the tonic (1)
Ex. 2 on the third (3)
Ex. 3 on the fifth (5)
Ex. 5 on the minor seventh (b7)

Dominant Bebop Patterns

Here are four dominant bebop patterns. The first and second exercise start on the tonic (G) whereas the third example starts on the third (B) and the fourth on the fifth (G). Try to practice these patterns in twelve keys.