The Major Bebop Scale | Guitar Diagrams and Best Theory 2022

Major Bebop Scale Theory

What is a bebop?

The Bebop Period started around the 1940’s, during this time Charlie Parker, Unsteady Gillespie, Lester Youthful, and a lot more enhanced a recent fad of jazz. This new classification was known for being muddled. Loads of key changes, hard harmony movements, complex harmonies, and unimaginable spontaneous creation.

This was very nearly a disobedience from standard jazz and famous music harmony movements with typical and basic section ensemble reiteration. The point was to be revolutionary. This was the point at which the Beat Age started, and their Bohemian way of life blended impeccably with the imprudent and vulnerability of bebop. Very much like life, who can say for sure what the following note will be!

In view of its odd spans and consistent changes, the music turned out to be even more a faction peculiarity as the majority didn’t exactly take to the melodic intricacy. Yet, bebop lives on in the core of each and every jazz player searching for that next unforeseen, yet mind boggling note to be played. Numerous combination guitarists are particularly acquainted with these scales.

What is The Major Bebop Scale?

The major bebop scale is an octatonic scale (eight notes) and it will take exactly four beats to play if the eight notes are used. It contains the same notes as the major scale including a passing tone (#5) between the fifth (5) and the sixth (6).

Major Bebop Scale Passing note
Major (Bebop) Scale Passing note
Comparison With The Major Scale

As explains in the chart below, the major bebop scale as an additional note between the 5 and the 6, meaning that you can see it as the Ionian mode with a passing tone.

C major bebop scale comparison
C major (bebop) scale comparison

Major (Bebop) Scale Chord Harmonization

The major bebop scale can be used for improvising over non altered major chords : Maj7, Maj6, 6/9, sus4, sus2, Maj9, Maj11 and Maj13. Playing the major bebop scale over major chords brings tension because of the #5.

What is The Formula and Interval Pattern For The Major Bebop Scale?

The major bebop scale formula is 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – #5 – 6 – 7. The interval pattern is ST – T – T – ST – T – ST – ST – T

The Major Bebop Scale
The Major (Bebop) Scale
Major Bebop Scale Octave shapes
Major Bebop Scale Octave shapes

Major (Bebop) Scale – 7 Shapes

The 7 shapes below show how to play the major (bebop) scale all over the guitar neck.

Major Bebop Scale Shapes
Major Bebop Scale Shapes
Major Bebop Scale Shapes

Jazz The 16 Most Important Scales (Jazz)Standards Click>>>

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